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Long-serving Monrovia City Council Member Gloria Crudgington passed away in September, 2024. Ms. Crudgington was 75. The members of the Monrovia Historical Museum Foundation’s Board are saddened by her passing and wish to spend a few moments remembering her and just a few of the many things she accomplished.
If you have ever hiked in the Monrovia Wilderness Preserve, you can thank Gloria. She ran the campaign for Measures A & B that saved approximately 1400 acres of our beautiful hillside from development. In September, 2024, the City dedicated an existing building near the Cloverleaf entry to the Wilderness as a visitor center named Crudgington Station. Click 'read more' link below. |
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 Carina Arias (standing) and Clara Fouser, are Monrovia Historical Museum's volunteers extraordinaire. They joined MHM in Spring 2024. Seen here in our upstairs library, the Trentalange Research Center. A Step in the Right Direction
Carina Arias and Clara Fouser are two peas in a pod. The only difference between them is – one was raised in Monrovia, while the other was raised by Monrovians. When they met at the Monrovia Historical Museum (MHM), it was like two old souls meeting again after many lifetimes. It was an instant connection. But more important was the common interest in everything historical. They enjoy serving as docents and meeting people from all walks of life, but they’re especially thrilled to help with archiving in the back office. Collectively, they have clocked in over 160 volunteer hours since Spring! It’s no wonder we call them our ‘volunteers extraordinaire!’ We take pride in fostering our young volunteers because in some way, we hope their exposure here helps them to learn, discover and find their niche in society, as well as develop a genuine appreciation for history! We are always looking for new volunteers, not just the young ones, but the mature adults too! Come visit us at MHM and meet our friendly docents. Maybe you’d want to volunteer too! Click the 'read more' link below to see what Carina and Clara have to say about their volunteer experience at MHM.  City of Monrovia staffers Joslyn Blakely (front), Jessie Woo and Paulina Reyes, lead the Youth Leadership Academy in the first session of their seven-week program, by visiting the Monrovia Historical Museum. 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.
 Click on image to link to the source, Monrovia Legacy Project By Mark Harvis Monrovia Historical Museum Board Vice President Back before the turn of the century (no, not the one 24 years ago – the one 124 years ago), Monrovia inaugurated its first “modern” transportation system. Starting around 1888 there was a single train track running up Myrtle Ave. from the first, wooden Santa Fe Depot (Myrtle and Duarte) to the La Vista Grande Hotel at Lemon, where it turned east. Total distance traveled was about 1.5 miles. This most-modern shuttle was called the “Mule and Gravity Rapid Transit,” an accurate, if not exactly catchy name. The Pacific Electric Magazine from May 10, 1929, gave a pithy explanation of how this four-footed shuttle worked: “The mules that constituted the motive power on the north-bound trip and were allowed to ride on an improvised trailer on the return journey. During the course of the countless trips back and forth, on one occasion while coasting down hill the car gained more than the anticipated speed with the result that said mule power was shaken from its platform. After this experience, it was never again possible to get the mules to ride and subsequently horses replaced them, but were required to walk at all times.” So, you ask, what happened to the displaced mules? Lore has it that “When this system was abandoned, its 'central power plant' was sold to the hillside farmer, who complained that although his mules pulled the plow fine up hill they insisted on climbing on to ride back." (Monrovia Legacy Project, https://tinyurl.com/4jtrbha8.)  You can learn about this and other facets of early life in Monrovia at the Monrovia Historical Museum, located in Recreation Park at 742 East Lemon. A miniature replica of this mule trolley is currently on display in our East Wing's icons exhibit (image). It was created for the museum by one of our board members, Mike Andrews. Come visit our 8,000-square-foot museum from 1-4 pm on Thursdays and Sundays. Admission is free and private tours are available!  Samson, the Hot Tub Bear 5" figurine adorns the Monrovia Historical Museum's 'Icons Exhibit' amid the mountains of Monrovia (created for the museum in 2023 by Mike Andrews, MHM board member). If you are a Monrovian living in the hills, chances are you have probably seen or even encountered a bear in your lifetime. Today, many stories abound of residents’ encounters, some have gone viral and some have even been featured in the network news! Here at the Monrovia Historical Museum, we take bear stories quite seriously! Several of our own board members have either been visited by bears in their home or have spotted them in their neighborhood!
And then of course, there’s the legendary Samson, The Hot Tub Bear. So popular was he that in 1994, even the Governor of California was summoned to take action in saving his life! There’s more to that story, of course, and if you’re not privy to the story of Samson, just Google him. Better yet, get the book “Samson the Hot Tub Bear: A True Story” for your kids and grandkids. He is such a legend that the city adopted him as its mascot. See link below to read more about the city's bear statues erected all over Monrovia! Last year, Mike Andrews, Monrovia resident and retired art professor at Otis College of Art and Design, joined the Museum board, and very quickly came up with designs to replace an old miniature paper model of Samson (and the hot tub) in our icons exhibit. What followed were more artistic creations by Mike, depicting Samson on our T-shirts, key chains, our cash donation receptacle, and if you haven’t noticed, Samson is now also in all our newsletters and ads! Samson The Hot Tub Bear is, without a doubt, a permanent fixture in the Monrovia scene. He is as much a historical figure as William Monroe, and his legacy lives on in Monrovia’s history! Learn More About Samson Links:
In 2015, the California State Office of Historic Preservation approached Ili Lobaco*, associate planner for the City of Monrovia at the time, to contribute an article in their newsletter about historic preservation in selected cities. Monrovia was among the nine cities featured. As part of her role in the city planning office, Ili Lobaco had been called upon to present at a few workshops with the state office, and it was was through her network of friends there that they became well aware of the success of local preservation efforts being made in Monrovia. This article was a result of that. Ili wrote it in October 2015, two months before she retired from the city. Read Ili's article here (excerpted from the full newsletter). The article, "Monrovia: Preserving Big in a Small City" was published in 2016 in ‘Preservation Matters,’ a newsletter of the California Office of Historic Preservation, Vol. 9, Issue 1. "It was an honor to be included with the other eight California cities, and it also gave Monrovia great visibility with their historic preservation program." Here's the link to the full document posted in the city's website. *Ili Lobaco retired from the City Planning Office of the City of Monrovia in 2015, after 15 years of service. Thereafter, she served on the board of the Monrovia Historical Museum from 2016 to 2021, and re-joined the board in May 2023 through the present.   We extend our deepest gratitude to Arcadia Sash & Door for their remarkable generosity in supporting the upcoming exhibit, “Monrovia’s History Through Architecture,” here at Monrovia’s Historical Museum.
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 is a family-owned and -operated company 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.  July 21, 2024 during the Monrovia Historic Preservation Group-MOHPG's Annual Meeting. Pictured in the photos on the bottom, L-R are: Charlene Smith, MOHPG supporter and Jim Wigton, MOHPG president; Vicky Hansen, MOHPG member and MHM board member, Lee Schamadan, MOHPG board member. Monrovia Historic Preservation Group Holds Annual Meeting and Supports the Monrovia Historical Museum
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!  Jose Contreras, the masterful stonemason! We, at the Monrovia Historical Museum, are continually fortunate to have such wonderful benefactors. One of those is Norm Haley of Norm Haley Real Estate. Norm generously donated his company's services for our upcoming exhibit, “Monrovia History Through Architecture.” He commissioned Jose Contreras, his dedicated and talented stonemason, to do the job and we are so grateful! Thank you, Norm and Jose, for taking time out of your busy schedules to complete the stonework portion of this exhibit! Using almost 2,000 pounds of rubble granite, Jose skillfully and with exceptional precision, crafted the porch stonework that complements Mark Houston's design for this Craftsman façade. The full-view photo below showcases the beauty of the granite stone pillars with the finished battered wood columns. We commend Jose's masterful craftsmanship! While we still await the finishing touches to this construction project, we are thrilled with the progress! As we look ahead to the completion of this exhibit, currently projected for the Fall, it bears repeating how truly appreciative we are of all the companies and individuals, like Norm Haley, who contribute valuable time and services to make this exhibit a reality--a truly special and memorable exhibit, not just for the Monrovia Historical Museum but for the entire community! More to come! Stay tuned!  |
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