Altadena Historical Society

Christmas Tree Lane - the video! Make some hot cocoa and settle in to watch 100 Years of Lights: The Story of Christmas Tree Lane, a 12-part video series now streaming on YouTube. This original series comes to us from our glorious Altadena Library staff, with help from Christmas Tree Lane volunteers and Altadena Historical Society volunteers. Enjoy!

The Christmas Spirit(s) Mac's Liquor Store occupied a prime storefront location alongside the Pacific Electric line on Fair Oaks. Here are some newspaper vignettes from about 8 decades ago, as well as a current view.

Christmas Tree Lane -- A Century of Lights The first deodar cedars were planted by the Woodbury family in 1885 to line their planned driveway. In 1920, the trees were hung with Christmas lights for the first time. This year marks the centennial. Here are a few photos from our archives showing the changes through the past 135 years.

The end of the Mt. Lowe Tavern, part 2 Continuing from our post on Monday, the famous Tavern burned to the ground in the early morning of September 15, 1936, leaving only the concrete shell of the southern annex still standing. Twenty three years later, on March 5, 1959, that concrete shell was destroyed by dynamite by the USFS. See the individual photos for more details.

The end of the Mt. Lowe Tavern, Part I There was a resort complex in the mountains above Altadena at Crystal Springs from 1895 to 1936. Over those 41 years, there were thousands of visitors, and it was accessible by electric rail cars. Here is the first of two posts on the demise of this amazing place. Comments will be posted with the photographs. (Part 2 will be published on Friday.)

Over the river and through the woods, 1938. Most of us won't be travelling this year for Thanksgiving, but 82 years ago, if you had to get from Altadena to your family's house for Thanksgiving dinner, the Red Cars were waiting to take you.