The Caminos_______Newsletter of the Arcadia Historical Society ______Fall/Winter 2017

Arcadia Historical Society’s 65th Birthday Celebration

A night of a fallen victim, an egotistical detective, a few characters and a lot of suspects.

Above,EgoMikitasasInspectorEgo;center,JillKendrick,MaryHansen&ChristyJoy;right,Burt&KimBrink

AbovephotoscourtesyofGalenPatterson

JanShimmin&JillKendrickshareaclue.

TheArcadiaChineseAssociationcelebrateswithAHS.

Atleft,thenighthonoredthefirstrecipientof the Carol Libby Youth ScholarshipAward, given to an Arcadia High Schoolstudent who not only showcasedexcellence in academics, but also aninterestinthehistoryofArcadia.AriannaTogelang was on hand along with herparentstoaccepttheaward.

Guests arrived andwere escorted to a Gatsby era gala at Prince Erik Hall onNovember12,2017.TheFitzgeraldSocialHourwasabruptlyinterruptedwithabang,ascreamandamurder,butthedinnercontinuedasplanned.

Above, seated from left:Dorothy Hamada, DorothyKistler, Carol Phelan; in back,Connie Russell & LuwanaGurr.

At right, Pam Reardon, CindyLee, Karen Hou, Carol Libby,Char Wong, Bev Street, LisaMcKee, Sandra Nelson &DianeWong.

Arcadia Historical Society Mystery Dinner TheArcadiaHistoricalSocietycelebratedits65thbirthdaywithaMysteryDinnerattheGatsbyEstate,akaPrinceErikHall onNovember 12. Themysterywas based on a realmurder case that occurred at theWhiteOakGasStation,whichoncestoodonFoothillBlvd.nearSantaAnitaAve. Guestshadto identifythemurderer(s) fromacastofcharacters,helpedalongbycluesplacedateachtable.Intherealcase,itwasrumoredthatCharlesForbesand Marge Jones buried their loot from a heist in the San Gabriel Mountains just above Arcadia. Though the‘treasure’hasnotyetbeenfound,residentscontinuetohuntforit.

Theeveningbeganwithphotosinfrontofavintagetruckandguests being fingerprinted by Arcadia High School Men &Women dressed in ’20s garb. Attendees then entered thereceptionhallandenjoyedVodkaFrescamartinis,wineandappetizers while waiting for the evening to begin. And itbeganwithabang-withawaiterbeing‘shot!’Atwhichpoint,guests were led to the dining area to be interrogated byDetectiveInspectorEgoMikitas.

Guests at each table read clues tohelpdeterminewhichcharacter(s)tookpartinthecrimes.Astheinterrogation progressed, guests discovered thatthe murdererofMargeJonesattheWhiteOakGasstation was the sharp shooting Annie Oakley,playedbyKimBrink.ThisactwasattherequestofLady B. Goode, portrayed by City CouncilmemberAprilVerlato,whowasthewifeoftheviciouskiller,Charles Forbes. It was Lady B. Goode’s actualintent to do away with her husband, but MargeJonesgotintheway.AnunknowndrifterbythenameofIancommittedthe crime of the evening when he “shot” a staff waiter. Dr. Hobbs Knobbs, portrayed by former Mayor BobHarbicht,paidthedriftertodothedeedbecausehewantedtoquietthewaiterwhohadlearnedofLadyB.Goode’scontracthitonCharlesForbes.Dr.HobbsKnobbswasinlovewithLadyB.Goodeandwantedtoprotecther.Intheend,allthecharacterswereinvolvedinsomesortofillicitactivityandreceived a sentence of “death by chocolate.” Arcadia Historian Carol Libbyresearched the history of the event with Sandi McQuilkin of Santa AnitaGardens Catering writing the script. The cast of characters included localArcadians. Above Photos & Article provided by Carrie Lynn Barker, ArcadiaChamberofCommerce.

CastofCharacters:RubyRed,BankTeller–JanShimminPhilR.Up,GasStationOwner–LeeShimminDr.HobbsKnobbs–formerMayorBobHarbichtMacunA.Deal,PawnShopOwner–BurtonBrinkShadySal,SpeakEasyManager–LisaWaltonRipToff,Jeweler–CityClerkGeneGlascoDeputyFife,PoliceOfficer–MayorProTemShoTayTawneyChablis,NewspaperEditor–GalenPattersonLadyB.Goode,GangsterForbes’Wife–CityCouncilmemberAprilVerlatoAnnieOakley,GunShopOwner–KimBrinkGeneGlascowithAprilVerlato

65 Years and Counting for the Arcadia Historical Society Earlyin1952,DeweyE.Nelson,CuratorfortheLosAngelesState&CountyArboretum,conceivedtheidea of an historical society in Arcadia. He did considerable work in promoting the idea in thecommunity;however,illhealthpreventedhimfromcontinuingtheproject.HeturneditovertotheWoman’sClubofArcadiaanditsCaliforniaHistoryandLandmarkCommittee.NancyL.Huttonwasthecommitteechairandunderherleadershiptheprojectflourished.

OnNovember16,1952, theWoman’sClubhostedanorganizationalmeetingat theirclubhouse forthepurposeof formingtheArcadiaHistoricalSociety. Intheinvitational letterthepurposesoftheorganizationwouldbeto(1)provideaplaceforfellowshipandreminiscingforpioneerfamilies;(2)havea functioninggroupactive inthecollectionofhistoricaldataandrelics, inthepreservationofhistoricsitesandtraditions;and(3)toparticipateincommunityobservancesofacivicandculturalnaturethatemphasizehistoricalaspects.OnehundredandoneenrolledasCharterMembers.

OnJanuary25,1953,officerswereelected,thenameArcadiaHistoricalSocietybecameofficial,andtheConstitutionandBy-Lawswereadopted.Duesweresetat$1.00peryear.NancyL.Huttontookthereinsastheorganization’sfirstpresidentandsheservedinthatcapacityuntil1956.TheSocietywasincorporatedinDecember1954.Inthatsameyear,“THECAMINOS”wasselectedasthenameofthesociety’spublicationandnewsletter.

Why is the Santa Anita Depot pictured in the Arcadia Historical Society logo?

Many individuals believe that the City of Arcadia or the LosAngeles CountyArboretum saved theSantaAnitaDepotfromdestruction.Butitwasneitheroftheseentities.ItwastheArcadiaHistoricalSocietythataccomplishedthisfeatalongwiththeArcadiaChamberofCommerce.

In1962,theCityofArcadiawasnotifiedthatthe210Freewayroutehadbeenestablishedandthatthe SantaAnitaDepot atOldRanchRoad andColoradoBlvd.was situatedon this route. The citymanagerat the timenotifiedEdnaLenz, thepresidentof theArcadiaHistoricalSociety,andasked,“Whatshallwedo?Canwesavethehistoricbuilding?Whowillspearheadthismonumentaltask?”

Without hesitation, the ArcadiaHistorical Society responded clearly and emphatically, “TheDepotmustbesavedandwewillendeavortomeetthechallenge.”EdnaLenz,BruceWetmore,HughBuckandSid&LornettaPlatfordbeganthelongandfrustratingtaskofsavingtheDepot.

It took five years to fight all the “red tape” and when the Depot was given a “Point of HistoricalInterest,” a campaign to “Save theDepot” couldbe launched. TheArcadiaChamberofCommercejoinedtheventureandbroughtthecitizensofArcadiaintothefundraisingcampaign.Throughmanyindividualsdedicatedefforts,theDepotwassaved.ItwascompletelydismantledandrebuiltontheArboretumgrounds,anddedicatedonSeptember25,1970.

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Junior Archivists at AHS Office FirstAvenueMiddleSchoolstudentsvolunteeredat AHS’ Prince Erik Hall Office for severalSaturdaysinNovemberandDecember.Theynotonly worked to organize files and information,butlearnedaboutArcadiahistoryaswell.Jessica, Abhiram and Sahi created a timeline ofArcadia’s schools for the AHS booth at theDowntown Holiday Market on Dec. 9. Thesestudents attended the event and interactedwithattendeeswhoplaced thenameof theschoolonthe year they thought that the school opened.Many were surprised by their responses andlearnedafactortwo.Studentsandattendeeshad

Lefttoright:Jessica,Vicky,Abhiram&CarolLibbyawonderfultimediscoveringArcadia’shistory.

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P. O. Box 661332 Arcadia, CA 91066

Business Icon Honored The Arcadia Chamber of Commerce & the Arcadia Historical Society honored Art Del Rey as a Business Icon for his 30 years as a Real Estate agent on October 19, 2017 at the Chamber’s Networking Breakfast. Gene Glasco, City Clerk & Past President of AHS, made the presentation. Pictured left to right: Beverly Street, Carol Libby, Art Del Rey and Gene Glasco. Congratulations Art!

Wishing You a Healthy and Prosperous New Year

KarenHou,PresidentJoleneCadenbach,1stVicePresidentBeverlyStreet,2ndVicePresidentGilStromsoe,TreasurerCharWong,SecretaryEdAndersen,PublicRelationsDirectorCarolLibby,HistorianGeneGlasco,PastPresidentDirectors:JimConsidine,SteveHodgson,GailMarshall,ConnieRussellandLeeShimmin