View northeast over Pacific Electric Railroad. Ross Field Balloon School occupies portion on right side of photo over to the railroad tracks. The street marking its northern boundary would be Huntington Drive. The large rectangle just north of this street was Rancho Resevoir, converted into a swimming pool. The principal street marking east boundary of Balloon School property running north to south across this photo about at middle, is Santa Anita Avenue.
View east shows two balloons aloft over Arcadia and San Gabriel Valley. It is possible that first river up from bottom of photo is Rio Hondo Wash. Some of trees along Santa Anita appear to be in extreme lower right of photo. Tree-lined street showing in extreme lower left of photo is Duarte Road. Second river coming into photo about five inches up from bottom of photo would be San Gabriel River.
Aerial view taken from about over what became Campus Drive and Arcadia High School, and looking toward (NW) Pasadena and Sierra Madre at foot of San Gabriel Mountains. Photo shows Santa Anita Park Race Track possibly just a few years after opening.
Aerial view south of Balloon School and surrounding part of valley. Large tree-lined street running from center of photo toward lower left edge of photo is Santa Anita. Tree-lined street coming in on right edge of photo about two inches from bottom of photo and intersecting Santa Anita, is Duarte Road. Note wash that at present is just west of Arcadia High School. Rio Hondo Wash runs east to west across middle of photo.
Looking east over barracks and main building at Ross Field. Tree-lined street cutting across photo at far side of field is Santa Anita Avenue. The oval of the race track built by E.J."Lucky" Baldwin and which opened in 1907 can clearly be seen on right. Broad E/W street seen on far left is Huntington Drive.
Aerial view north toward San Gabriel Mountains from a position above Huntington Drive near First Avenue. Santa Anita Avenue can plainly be seen running north and south in front of six-story building in center of photo. The 210 Foothill Freeway is top band running across photo from east to west.
Aerial view toward the east taken from about over present Club House at Santa Anita Park Race Track. The main street running North/South is Santa Anita Avenue. View shows the oval of Elias J. "Lucky" Baldwin's race track in what is currently Arcadia County Park. The buildings would be barracks of Ross Field U.S. Army Balloon School. Duarte Road can be seen coming into photo at right edge of photo near intersection with Santa Anita Avenue. The broad street along left side would be Huntington Drive. Railroad tracks can be seen in lower left corner.
Aerial view looking towards San Gabriel Mountains showing intersection of Baldwin Avenue and Huntington Drive, the Santa Anita Park and training track where Santa Anita Fashion Park (currently known as Westfield Santa Anita Shopping Mall) was built.
Aerial view toward north from a position south of Huntington Drive near intersection with Baldwin Avenue. It shows Santa Anita Fashion Park (currently known as Westfield Santa Anita Shopping Mall) developed by and on property owned by Santa Anita Consolidated. The Santa Anita Park Race Track and club house can be seen in center of photo. The straight white line about one inch above the club house roof is 210 Foothill Freeway. Chantry Flats road can be seen going up into San Gabriel Mountains in distance.
Aerial view looking northeast across Santa Anita Park toward mountains. Note training track called Anita Chiquita has been added (lower left corner), open grandstand has been added to west of covered stand. Note, too, that work has begun to change Balloon School site to Arcadia County Park. Santa Anita Avenue is tree-lined street running entire width of photo about middle of print.
Santa Anita Park Race Track just right of center at south edge of photo. Oval to the left of Santa Anita Park Race Track was training track which was removed to make room for Santa Anita Fashion Park (currently Westfield Santa Anita Shopping Mall). Street just to left of training track is Baldwin Avenue. Huntington Drive and Colorado Place form a "y" just east of Santa Anita Park Race Track. Along both can be noticed the conifer trees planted a few years earlier. Street completely bisecting photo just below center is Foothill Boulevard, next one is Orange Grove Avenue. Santa Anita Avenue is partially in view on right edge of photo. Oval on extreme lower left side of photo is old Baldwin training track. Baseball diamond in lower right corner is at Arcadia County Park. Scale: 1"=660'
Aerial view looking east across Santa Anita Park taken from a position just west of Baldwin Avenue, which is seen at bottom of photo. Huntington Drive appears exactly in center of photo just east of race track. The 210 Foothill Freeway enters area in upper right portion of picture and exits at left side in upper left portion.
Dark, tree-lined street completely bisecting photo from west to east just above, is Duarte Road. Santa Anita Park Race Track is at upper right edge of photo. Smaller oval nearby is a training track. The incomplete oval in upper left is the race track that Anita Baldwin and Joe Smoot attempted to build in 1933 but abandoned the project. Huntington Drive and Colorado Place form a "y" just east of Santa Anita Park Race Track. Note grove of olive trees on land where City Hall is located today (240 W. Huntington Drive, Arcadia). Baseball diamond in upper right corner of photo, just below the convergence of the "y" is at Arcadia County Park. Corrected description as of 11/04/2008.
Aerial view looking west across Santa Anita Park from a position about Santa Anita Avenue just north of Huntington Drive. In the upper right portion of the photo can be seen the extensive earthwork done for the track Anita Baldwin and Joe Smoot planned to build. That vast area now is entirely built with homes and apartments and is called Santa Anita Village. Present-day Baldwin Avenue would follow the line shown by the Ranch Road bisecting the photo from right to left just east of the track abandoned by Anita Baldwin and Joe Smoot.
Aerial view taken looking southeast from position about over present Arboretum. Photo shows Santa Anita Park, probably in opening season. Present City Hall sits in area just beyond cars parked at east end of track. Part of oval of old Santa Anita track built by Elias J. "Lucky" Baldwin is seen in upper portion of photo, in area that is now Arcadia County Park. Duarte Road is seen crossing photo in upper right corner. Present Arcadia County Park area is in this photo, bordered on the north by Pacific Electric Railroad tracks. A train has just brought a group to the races and they are seen walking in center of photo. White square seen near right side, is slab left from hangars when U.S. Army Balloon School occupied this site, 1917-1927.
Aerial view looking north over flooded Santa Anita Wash looking upstream. Street cutting across photo closest to bottom is Huntington Drive. The next crossing upstream carries Santa Fe Railroad track. The last crossing that is clearly visible is Pacific Electric Railroad bridge. North/south street crossing Huntington Drive nearest wash would be Fifth Avenue. Foothill Boulevard is just barely visible near top of photo.
Aerial looking west from a position just east of First Avenue and just north of Wheeler Avenue. Large white barn-like roof is San Gabriel Valley Lumber Co. building. This later became the Sawmill Restaurant and in the early 1990's became Sports Rock Cafe. Directly opposite, is cleared land where Arcadia Public Library, Fire and Police were previously located. Today there is a Medical Building on the site (65 N. First Avenue). Santa Anita Park and parking lot are seen in the distance.
Aerial view looking north across Santa Anita Park from a position over Arcadia County Park. Large infield crowd is evident and all parking areas are filled. Arcadia Methodist Hospital shows in lower left part of photo and Arcadia Police facility is seen in lower right. The 210 Foothill Freeway cuts across photo near the top.
Santa Fe Railroad tracks cut diagonally across photo from east to west. Huntington Drive bisects photo from east to west approximately at center of photo. Arcadia County Park appears in lower left corner, showing baseball diamond. Santa Anita Wash is shown on right side of photo.
Aerial view south on Colorado Street just over large turn to the west. The residential area known as Santa Anita Gardens shows along upper left section of photo. Note that the only commerical development along the north side of Colorado Street is the Westerner Motel just near intersection with Huntington Drive. Santa Fe Railroad tracks are seen in lower left corner of photo. Santa Anita Park Race Track is on right.