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Pasadena's Native
American, Spanish and Mexican Heritage
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The land now famous for the
Tournament of Roses,
the Rose Bowl, the
Jet Propulsion Laboratory, and
California Institute of Technology,
was once occupied by the Hahamogna Tribe of Indians. Subsisting on
local game and vegetation, the Hahamognas lived in villages
scattered along the Arroyo Seco and the canyons from the mountains
down to the South Pasadena area. With the arrival of the Spaniards
and the establishment of the San Gabriel Mission on September 8,
1771, the Indians were subjugated, converted, and forced to labor
for the mission.
The
San Gabriel
Mission, the fourth in California, grew to be prosperous, with
abundant orchards, vineyards and herds. The vast lands which it
administered for the Spanish Crown were divided into ranchos. After
the rule of California passed from Spain to Mexico, the Mexican
government in 1833 secularized the mission lands and awarded them to
individuals. The northeast corner of San Gabriel Mission, consisting
of the 14,000 acres known as Rancho el Rincon de San Pascual, had
previously been gifted
in 1826 by the padres to Doña Eulalia Pérez de Guillen, noted for
her advanced age as well as her devoted service to the mission. On
February 18, 1835, it was formally granted by the Mexican government
to her husband, Don Juan Mariné. He and his sons subsequently lost
the land which changed ownership a few more times before being
granted on November 28, 1843, by Governor Manuel Micheltorena to his
good friend, Colonel Manuel Garfias, son of a distinguished Mexican
family.
In 1852, two years after California was admitted as
a state to the Union, Garfias built an adobe hacienda on the east
bank of the Arroyo, where he and his family proceeded to live in
grand style, until he could not meet the interest payment due on a
loan. Title to the land was then transferred in 1859 to his lenders,
Dr. John S. Griffin and Benjamin "Don Benito" Wilson. Portions of
the Rancho San Pasqual were thereafter sold, leaving Griffin and
Wilson with 5,328 acres in 1873.
All photographs courtesy of the
Pasadena Public
Library unless otherwise noted.
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How Pasadena Was Named
Mail came to the Indiana Colony
via Los Angeles so ear-marked. In an attempt to obtain their
own Post Office, the Colony needed to change the name to
something that the Postmaster General would consider more
fitting. The town fathers put up three names to a vote. The
first was Indianola. The second was Granada, to be in
keeping with the areas Spanish heritage. The third was
proposed by Dr. Thomas Elliott who had contacted an Indian
missionary friend of his in Michigan who had worked with the
Minnesota
Chippewa Indians. He submitted four names for
translation: "Crown of the Valley," "Key of the Valley,"
"Valley of the Valley," and "Hill of the Valley." The names
came back starting with "Weo-quan pa-sa-de-na," "Hat of the
Valley" All the names ended in the "pa-sa-de-na (of the
valley)" translation. The name was put to the vote, and due
to its euphonious nature, it was accepted, thus: Pasadena.
Pasadena was incorporated — the second incorporated
municipality of Southern California next to Los Angeles — in
March 1886.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pasadena,_California
from the Pasadena Convention and Visitors Bureau
From mountains caressed by the sun, through gardens radiant with
roses, to extraordinary turn-of-the-century architecture, there is nowhere
else quite like Pasadena. Excellent choices are available in the selection
of accommodations, world-class museums, restaurants, shopping, entertainment
and recreational activities. Coupled with Pasadena's convenient location,
dry sunny climate, and easy access to Southern California's other famous
attractions, Pasadena is an enjoyable visitor destination - Any Time of
Year.A cold Midwestern winter in 1873 gave birth to Pasadena.
In Indianapolis during that winter, Daniel Berry, a teacher-turned
journalist, met with a small group of friends. Where could they go to escape
annual snows and freezing temperatures, they wondered? Where was there
year-round sunshine and citrus trees and adventure? Berry traveled by "E"
train to California and although he saw much land he liked, nothing
impressed him as much as his first viewing on September 12, 1873 of Rancho
San Pasqual, a 13,694-acre tract at the base of the San Gabriels, mountains
which rose to 9,000 feet.
The group from Indiana bear responsibility for
the name of Pasadena, a Chippewa Indian word meaning "Crown of the Valley."
Officially incorporated on June 19, 1886, Pasadena's scenery and climate
were such that soon wealthy Chicagoans and New Yorkers were using the city
as their playground, arriving first as winter visitors to the new resorts -
The Raymond, The Green, The Huntington - then as residents who turned Orange
Grove Boulevard into Millionaires' Row.
Pasadena has retained a charm and identity all its own. Whether for
business or pleasure, visitors prefer to stay in Pasadena. A world apart,
yet just a short 30 minute drive to downtown Los Angeles and within an
hour's drive to all major attractions, Pasadena is the perfect base for a
week of exploring Southern California.
The Pasadena Convention and Visitors Bureau is here to assist with all
your vacation plans. Give us a call at (626) 795-9311, drop us a note, or
stop by our Visitor Information Center at 171 S. Los Robles Avenue Pasadena,
California 91101.
http://www.oldpasadena.com/oldpas/history.asp
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