​By Oliver Beckwith
MHM Board Member 

"I have learned that success is to be measured not so much by the position that one has reached in life as by the obstacles which he has overcome while trying to succeed." ~ Booker T. Washington

Few people realize that one of the most remarkable figures in American history once lived, preached, and ultimately spent his final days in Monrovia. His extraordinary journey from slavery to becoming the highest-ranking African American officer in the U.S. Army is a story well worth remembering. 

When I give presentations about Monrovia’s history to different groups, I often mention that our city’s founder, William Monroe, had a number of occupations in his life. From farmer to Army Major to hotel manager to railroad superintendent, a Civil War veteran who eventually gets a city named after him. Conversely, Lt. Col. Allensworth's resume, comparable in many ways to Monroe, has one major difference: Allensworth started life as a slave.

By Vicky Hansen
​MHM Board Member

​Friendly rivals for decades, the two high schools came together for one unforgettable evening in 1967. Here's the remarkable story of how a student promoter from Arcadia High brought a little-known rock band to the stage at Monrovia High—just weeks before "Light My Fire" made music history. 

Just weeks before they became famous on the radio and “Light My Fire” hit #1 on the charts, The Doors played on April 28,1967 in Monrovia High School’s Auditorium.

By Oliver Beckwith
​MHM Board Member

​​On May 2nd, 2026 the Monrovia Area Partnership unveiled their latest Neighborhood Treasure Monument, a program dedicated to celebrating historically significant Monrovians. The monument is
located at 934 Royal Oaks Drive in East Monrovia, across the street from where the honoree, Kiyoshi Kuromiya, was raised. It was a meaningful event with the entire city council, representatives of the historical community, and family members in attendance.

Of all the people who lived in Monrovia in the past 140 years only one person has been honored with a Google Doodle, and Kiyoshi Kuromiya (1943-2000) is that person. Kiyoshi was a Sansei, a third generation Japanese American, born at the Heart Mountain concentration camp in 1943. After the war his family returned to Monrovia.

At Monrovia High School, Kiyoshi, called 'Steve' by his classmates, excelled academically. He was Vice President of the History Club and received a scholarship to attend the University of Pennsylvania as an architecture major. Once there he became an activist; he joined the Anti-War Students for a Democratic Society (SDS), and the Congress On Racial Equality (CORE), a major group in the Civil Rights Movement.

​By Oliver Beckwith, MHM Board Member

​Since the beginning of Monrovia’s existence to the present time, educating young people has been a key factor in fostering and maintaining the success of the city. City fathers recognized it; the first school, Orange Avenue School (now Monroe Elementary), was constructed in 1887 on land donated by William Monroe. The building had two stories, with elementary grades meeting on the first floor and the high school located on the second floor.
 
Early on Monrovia had a reputation for academic excellence. An early Superintendent was James A. Foshay (1856-1914). Foshay went on to become the Los Angeles City Superintendent of Schools. In 1925 Foshay had a school named after him and today it’s still educating students. The James A. Foshay Learning Center in Exposition Park is a testament to the memory of this Monrovia educator. 

By Oliver Beckwith
​MHM Board Member

​One of the more unusual structures to be found along Route 66 is found right here in Monrovia. There is nothing like the Aztec Hotel anywhere along the eight  states and more than 2400 miles of the Mother Road. Yet despite its uniqueness the place has never been a successful business venture. In order to find out why, questions need to be answered. Why was it built there in 1925, and what caused investors to have it built? Why did they choose such an unusual architectural style at that time, and why did it ultimately fail? 

By Oliver Beckwith

In concert with the grand opening celebration of our new Route 66 exhibit, "Engines of Change: How Transportation Moved Monrovia," I was inspired to take a journey into some of the many historical connections Monrovia has with the Mother Road. This month, my focus is on one of the key parts of our new exhibit involving "The Good Roads Movement," one of many reforms that came out of the Progressive Era.

​​​The Good Roads Movement and Route 66

The Good Roads Movement was one of many reforms that came out of the Progressive Era, which lasted from the 1890s to the 1920s. The initial goal was to improve roads for rural farmers. The Progressive Movement had many parts designed to make life better for all Americans. Among these were political, economic, and social reforms, many of which we still have today.

By Susie Ling

​Rosalie Cardiel Garcia lived on Monrovia’s Route 66 in the 1930s, "We used to live on Huntington Drive... When I drive down Huntington [today], I would remember when my brother and I would lie down on that street. There wasn't that much traffic [then]. We would be lying there, and my brother would say, 'Oh, there's the light of a car way down there...' So we would then get up to let the car pass. Then we would lie on the street again. We played hopscotch on Route 66. There was an airport next to us. When it was really foggy, they would blow a horn. Then the men would all go to the airport with their cars and turn their headlights on for the incoming plane." Rosalie married Louis Garcia, grandson of Lucinda Garcia. This Garcia family traces their legacy on this land to before the Spaniards built the San Gabriel Mission in 1771.

By Oliver Beckwith

At the Monrovia Historical Museum, I enjoy telling our guests the story of our city’s beginnings. I often share that the city’s 1887 incorporation story has something to do with saloons and the founders’ desire to get rid of them. The community began in May of 1886, and by the fall of 1887 Monrovia was growing quickly.​

​Saloons were allowed in Los Angeles County, thus they were allowed in

​Part Two of Two (click here for Part One) 
By Oliver Beckwith
​
​From the beginning of Monrovia’s existence as a city there was awareness of Monrovia Canyon and its falls. Local residents would hike or take horses up there and enjoy the visit. With the introduction of automobiles in the early 20th century there was a desire for residents to visit the place in their vehicles. 

​​Part One of Two
By Oliver Beckwith 
​
The Bear is a book by author Andrew Krivak, and it is the featured book in Monrovia's "One City One Story" initiative for 2026. It’s sponsored by Monrovia Reads, a local group which promotes literacy and provides resources to accomplish this goal. ​

​The Bear is about a journey by a father and daughter in a post apocalyptic world, and themes of human interaction with the natural
world abound. 

Krivak had been telling his children bedtime stories about a bear, and when he moved to New Hampshire he became inspired to write a story that would include Mt. Monadnock, a popular hiking destination in the region.