Page 17 - Layout 1

www.CrescentaCanada.com COMMUNITY PAGES 17

A Brief History

of La Cañada

Flintridge

ating back over 200 years and with
D a Spanish heritage, La Cañada
Flintridge holds a rightful place in
California history. Besides that, it has one of
the longest names of cities in the state.
Co-founded by two Michigan gentlemen,
mayor. His colleagues on the city council were
Dr. Jacob L. Lanterman, a dentist, and Col.
Michael Mount, Warren Hillgren, Edmund Krause
Adolphus W. Williams, a Civil War veteran,
and J.D. Smith.
La Cañada Flintridge is located at the base
• Perhaps the biggest issue in the history of the
of the San Gabriel mountains between
city was the 18-month question of whether or not
Pasadena and La Crescenta. It is an affluent
to widen the Berkshire Bridge in the Flintridge
community highly represented by professionals
area. The city council reversed itself six times, final-
in the American work scene.
ly deciding to keep the small, rustic bridge as it
was with some safety features. The bridge, built in
e makeup and history of LCF: 1914, was the council’s first major and controver-
The makeup and history of LCF:
sial issue, and that body’s back-and-forth position
• It dates back to 1874 during the days of the
drew harsh criticism from the citizens.
Spanish presence in California.
• Surprisingly, LCF operated on an onsite waste dis-
• Dr. Lanterman and Col. Williams purchased
posal system until 1996 when the city council
Rancho La Cañada of 5,832 acres in 1876, which
approved the start of a bonafide sewer system
later became the community of La Cañada
after being encouraged by Pasadena at a savings as
Flintridge.
the Crown City was going to enlarge the line into
• Water and its availability were the underlying
the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in LCF. Residential
issues in the development of the community. It
sewer use followed with two districts left to do in
caused friction among the early settlers who,
the Flintridge area.
because of water scarcity, had to struggle to obtain
• Although La Cañadans didn’t want it and there
water rights.
was an intense fight to oppose it, the state
• In 1885, La Cañada’s first public school was
approved the 210 Foothill Freeway through the
opened in a one-room facility for grades 1-8. There
middle of La Cañada, a three-mile stretch. The axe
were 18 students.
fell in 1964. The local freeway was opened in 1972
• Simultaneously, a county-appointed three-mem-
after two years of construction.
ber school board met for the first time that year
• That same year, the new 150-bed Verdugo Hills
and hired Helen M. Haskell as La Cañada’s first
Hospital, formerly Behrens of Glendale, was
teacher.
opened in the community.
• Frank Lanterman, grandson of the co-founder,
• Dating back to 1912, the LCF Chamber of
was known as the water provider for LCF, initially
Commerce and Community Assn. is the oldest
as a board member of the local Valley Water Co.
organization in the community. It continues to
and then as a state assemblyman where he served
sponsor Fiesta Days, a popular community celebra-
for 28 years and authored needed water legisla-
tion each year, which was introduced in 1973.
tion for the state, including La Cañada. He was
Monthly business-public mixers are also held.
elected in 1950 and re-elected 13 times before
retiring.
• After two previous attempts, LCF voters Don Mazen is author of the book
approved cityhood for their community in 1976. It The History of La Cañada Flintridge
gave them local control and prevented neighbor- and has covered news in the
ing Pasadena and Glendale from slicing up unpro-
community for 48 years.
tected, unincorporated LCF.
• George Parrish became the new city’s first