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. 

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!

​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.

​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!