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As
you gaze north anywhere in the city of Pasadena the most striking
view is that of the San Gabriel mountains. Most of the year this impressive
scene is noticeable as long as smog hasn’t obscured the picture.
Perhaps it was this panoramic view that caused those early adventurers
from east of the Rockies to want to settle here and call this once
open space “home.” Some came with dreams of fortune and
fame. These early settlers and founding fathers experienced a different
Pasadena than what we know today. However, we in the twenty-first
century have benefited greatly from the rich heritage they left to
us, their posterity. |
| Long
before the establishment of the city of Pasadena, the Gabrielino Indians
and later Spanish and Mexican settlers called this region home. The
Spanish colonists were mainly missionaries and much of the land fell
into the possession of the missions. When the Mexican government took
control of the mission land, parcels were granted to loyal soldiers
and farmers, thus leaving the Indians landless, and homeless. Many
of them found work on the ranches which were scattered throughout
the San Gabriel Valley. Some of the indigenous people utterly refused
to succumb to the encroachment of newcomers. They broke off into smaller
tribes to live in the surrounding areas away from the invaders. The
last known local tribe lived in Indian Flat (now called Linda Vista),
a short distance west of Garfield Heights near to the canyon. It is
alleged that some were there as late as 1884. |
| Between
1879 and 1881 two Iowa farmers, John H. Painter and Benjamin F. Ball
came to Pasadena. In reality, they were from Ohio and had migrated
to Iowa in the 1860’s before finally relocating their families
to Pasadena. They had initially sought to purchase approximately 500
acres in North Pasadena. The land they were interested in belonged
to a Henry Monk of New York. The property had sat idle once Mr. Monk
was informed by a well meaning friend that it was of little use. Seeing
little reason to hold onto it, he decided to rid himself of the entire
2000 acres. Rather than let the land fall into the hands of the growing
competition, Painter and Ball purchased all 2000 acres in 1881 for
$30,000.00. From that point on the tract became known as the Painter/Ball
tract. |
| Garfield
Heights is a small fragment of the original acreage which was bound
by Woodbury, Arroyo, Lake and Villa. It is located in Northwest Pasadena
and known as Block R. By 1893 some of the known streets in Garfield
Heights were Marengo, Washington, Claremont, Douglas, Los Robles,
Van Wyck and Adena. In 1904, Block R was named Garfield Heights and
was annexed by the city of Pasadena. Many of the homes in the area
were built during the boom years between the late 1880’s and
the 1920’s. While some were built by notable builders and architects,
the vast majority were not. Nonetheless, each one reflects a sense
of charm and grace which is difficult to find in a modern home. |
| Today,
most of those old homes remain intact. They stand as a reminder of
the heritage left to us by folks like Henry Monk, John Painter and
Benjamin Ball. While little remains of the Native Americans history
who once roamed these former chaparral covered lands, every proceeding
generation and ethnic group are forever indebted to them. |
| Written by Renee Pierson |
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