On Sunday, July 19, the Monrovia Historic Preservation Group (MOHPG) held its annual meeting, where members gathered to celebrate the organization’s accomplishments over the past year. In 2026, MOHPG marks its 46th year of advocating for the preservation of Monrovia’s historic resources and heritage.

The Monrovia Historical Museum is especially grateful that, once again, MOHPG has generously donated $2,000 in support of the museum’s mission. Museum board member Oliver Beckwith proudly accepted the donation on the museum’s behalf. We extend our sincere thanks to MOHPG President Jim Wigton and the entire organization for their continued generosity and steadfast commitment to preserving Monrovia’s history.

The museum is a nonprofit organization operated entirely by volunteers, and every donation helps us create new exhibits, improve the museum, and provide a more exciting and engaging experience for the entire community to enjoy.

The Monrovia Historical Museum was delighted to welcome more than 35 participants from the City of Monrovia's Youth Employment Services (YES) Summer Internship Program on Thursday, July 9.

The YES Program is an eight-week paid internship for Monrovia-area high school students ages 15–18, providing hands-on work experience, professional development, mentorship, and opportunities to build leadership skills while serving the community. As part of their summer experience, the interns, led by City of Monrovia's Recreation Coordinator, Hailey Villalobos, visited the museum to learn more about Monrovia's rich history and the people and events that helped shape the city they call home.

​A week before their museum visit, museum historian Oliver Beckwith presented an engaging program on the history of Monrovia at the Monrovia Community Center. His presentation clearly made a lasting impression, as many of the interns remembered historical details and eagerly recalled facts that resurfaced during the docent-led museum tour.

Museum docents Mike Andrews, Mark Harvis, Vicky Hansen, and Chris Hodgdon guided the students through the exhibits, sharing stories of Monrovia's past and encouraging them to discover how local history continues to influence the community today.

Following the tour, many of the interns lingered to explore the museum on their own. They had fun flipping through the museum's collection of Monrovia High School yearbooks, searching for familiar names, friends, relatives, and teachers, while others returned to spend more time at their favorite exhibits. Their curiosity, enthusiasm, and genuine interest in learning about Monrovia's heritage made the visit a memorable and rewarding experience for both the students and the museum volunteers.

The Monrovia Historical Museum extends its sincere appreciation to the City of Monrovia and the YES Program for including the museum as part of this year's internship experience. We look forward to welcoming future groups of young historians and helping inspire the next generation to appreciate and preserve Monrovia's rich heritage. ​

​The Museum is always proud to collaborate with our city partners, and this exciting new exhibit is no exception. For Engines of Change: How Transportation Shaped Monrovia, artist Eric Watkins has joined our team with this exhibit, bringing his talent and creative vision to help shape this special presentation.

As we prepare for the grand opening on April 30 from 4:00–6:00 p.m., Eric’s contributions are helping bring the story of transportation in Monrovia to life in a fresh and engaging way. Visitors will also have the opportunity to view his Route 66–inspired artwork, which will be proudly displayed in the museum during the event.

As part of the 'One City One Story' initiative featuring Andrew Krivak’s book, The Bear, local historian Oliver Beckwith and MHM board member, gave a presentation on Sunday, March 1st. It was titled, “The Bear and Canyon Park: Historical Connection,” a topic also featured in last month’s newsletter–you can read it again on our musings blog.

The March 1st event had a terrific turnout!  We wish to thank everyone who took the time to attend including Mayor Becky Shevlin, and civic leaders Ed Belden and Janet Wall. Many attendees expressed their approval of and appreciation for the event. We at the Monrovia Historical Museum hope to have many more historical talks with Oliver Beckwith in the near future! Stay tuned or sign up for our newsletters or follow us on social media!

🔥 Honoring Our Past with Monrovia Fire Department

​Creating and sharing our city’s history is a true community effort. Special thanks to the Monrovia Fire Department, who—despite their demanding schedules—played a vital role in developing an extraordinary exhibit showcasing the department's history, both past and present.

🏛️ “Monrovia’s History Through Architecture”
This exhibit was made possible through a remarkable combination of financial contributions, in-kind donations of labor and materials, and a shared passion for preserving Monrovia’s architectural legacy. In total, over $40,000 in value helped bring this exhibit to life!

​Anyone wishing to understand Monrovia’s history should learn something about the Pottenger Sanitorium. In the first half of the 20th century tuberculosis (TB) was a widespread disease with no real cure. Sanatoriums were developed to treat TB patients, and there were many of these in Southern California with its mild and dry climate.

Monrovia’s Pottenger Sanitorium was considered among the best. Founded by Dr. Pottenger in 1903 and in operation until 1955, it was located on the 500 block of North Canyon Blvd. The Pottenger Sanatorium treated notable patients in those years. Rodolfo Chiari Robles, President of Panama in the 1920’s was a patient as was Manuel Quezon, President of the Philippines. Lorna Moon, a Scottish author and Hollywood screenwriter was a patient. Actor-comedian Mabel Normand, who co-starred with Charlie Chaplin and Fatty Arbuckle in numerous Hollywood silent films, was treated there.

The Pottengers viewed the exhibit, took some pictures, and then we showed our guests the HIstoric Homes Exhibit. Doug and Aleta generously donated $3000 for the new exhibit, and for this we are thankful.

​Wednesday, September 4th, brought a record-breaking heatwave to the City of Monrovia! But city staffers, Joslyn Blakely, Jessie Woo and Paulina Reyes braved the triple-digit temperatures to usher a group of twenty-one (21) middle and high school students to the Monrovia Historical Museum (MHM) to learn more about Monrovia's history. The field trip served as the first session in their 7-week program, sponsored by the Monrovia Area Partnership (MAP)'s Youth Leadership Academy.

MHM board members Mark Harvis, Oliver Beckwith and Mike Andrews led the private tour. "Our goal was to make their visit informative and fun, and I think we succeeded," says Mark Harvis, MHM board vice president.  

​After the tour, city clerk assistant, Sarah Godinez, gave a PowerPoint presentation and talked to the students about the importance of voting. 

We, at MHM, applaud the City of Monrovia for sponsoring these programs that help enrich the lives of our youth!  We are always happy to serve our community! 

Click here to schedule your private tour! 

​Here's a brief description of the Youth Leadership Academy's mission:

The MAP Youth Leadership Academy is an opportunity for those in grades 6-12 gain education, skills, and resources that will help prepare them for the outside world and to be a leader in that world. The first step towards being an exceptional leader is by taking advantage of opportunities like this to learn different ways to be a better version of yourself. A version that can reflect unto others and make a positive impact throughout the community and world!  

The program gives youth a chance to get out of their shells; practice public speaking, learn about their local government, how to be a leader, the importance of volunteering, building their resumes, practicing mock interviews, and what to expect upon High School graduation.

​For their remarkable generosity in supporting the upcoming exhibit, “Monrovia’s History Through Architecture,” we extend our deepest gratitude!

Tom and Tina Posen, longtime Monrovia residents and owners of Arcadia Sash & Door, have graciously donated and installed custom-made doors and windows for this exciting exhibit. Established in 1979 by Tom Posen, Arcadia Sash & Door, a family-owned-and-operated company, is renowned for its excellence in window and door installations. With a legacy of enhancing thousands of homes, and having expansive showrooms, which feature over 50 brands and a diverse selection of doors, windows, hardware, and moulding.

The success of this exhibit owes much to the incredible support from companies and individuals like Tom and Tina Posen. Their commitment and generosity have significantly contributed to the exhibit's impressive scope and quality. This support exemplifies the spirit of community collaboration—truly, it takes a village. We are immensely proud and grateful for the extraordinary community that makes Monrovia so special.

​On July 21st, the Monrovia Historic Preservation Group (MOHPG) held its annual meeting at the Public Library Community Room. This local organization, which supports The Monrovia Historical Museum (MHM), presented a generous $2,000 gift to the museum this year. Vicky Hansen, a museum board member and MOHPG member, was on hand to receive the kind donation. MOHPG is also a co-sponsor to our up-and-coming exhibit titled "Monrovia's History through Architecture". 

As one of the largest non-profit organizations in Monrovia, MOHPG has an active membership of nearly 200 households. Founded in 1980, the group serves as a vital resource for those involved in home restoration and works to raise public awareness about the importance of preserving Monrovia's architectural heritage.

In addition to its educational efforts, MOHPG hosts an annual home tour around Mother’s Day, offering the public a unique opportunity to explore several of the city’s most outstanding homes. Click here for more information about this great organization!

The Monrovia Historical Museum wishes to acknowledge and thank the Monrovia Fire Department for their recent work to get the Fire Department exhibit completed and ready for viewing. We, at the museum, certainly understand and appreciate the constraints in their grueling schedule! And so it goes without saying that all their hard work and efforts deserve much accolade! A big shout-out to Fire Chief Jeremy Sanchez for “lighting the fire” on this endeavor (pictured above with Vicky Hansen, MHM board member and exhibit chair), as well as  Captain Brannigan Scott for leading his team to this exhibit's completion! Bravo, gentlemen!

Capt. Scott, Brian Cofield, Frank Droege, Joseph Jansen, Nick LaCroix, Rudy Libra, Josh Lin, as well as Joseph Nevarez and Randy Towns (pictured with Capt. Scott) worked diligently and with much attention to detail. Together, they have made it possible for the museum, once again, to proudly showcase this section in our West Wing. And a very special and BIG Thank You goes to Tom Ruzika of Ruzika Lighting for his ongoing and immeasurable contribution to enhance and illuminate all our exhibits! 

In addition to a fireman's pole, vintage artifacts and photos, also included in the exhibit is a documentary video chronicling the history of the Monrovia Fire Department with interesting timeline of events that would make every Monrovian proud and thankful to be part of this city. 

Thank you, Monrovia Fire Department, for completing this exhibit, but most of all, for your integrity, selfless service and commitment to make Monrovia a better and safer place for its citizens!