Northwest corner of the "Smoot Hole" and dump before clean-up began in 1938, just prior to the subdivision of El Rancho Village. This view was near street named Coronado.
Another view of "Smoot Hole" before cleaning up and just before subdividing for El Rancho Village. The name Smoot Hole came from aborted effort of Joe Smoot and Anita Baldwin to get race track built in about this location.
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.
Anita Baldwin and Joe Smoot, developer of Hilejea Park, Florida, prepare to turn ceremonial spadeful of soil for their projected race track. Anita has white hat and dress; Smoot is in double breasted suit.
There is no print of this negative. The negative is of newspaper clippings announcing the opening of new housing developments, including Rancho Santa Anita and Santa Anita Village.
Aerial view from east looking west over Santa Anita Race Track shortly after its opening. Baldwin Avenue shows just faintly as a white line above track barns. Note total absence of homes in what we call Santa Anita Village and Lower Rancho.
View looking north across Huntington Drive at El Rancho building containing the following businesses: DAVIDSON SPORTING GOODS, EL RANCHO HARDWARE, THE MARBERRY SHOP and others.
Dewey Butler's Sweet Corn Stand is shown next to the Santa Anita Motor Inn, which opened in 1938. There are four cars parked in front of the stand. Hand written note in scrapbook states, "Dewey Butler's - Golden Bantam Corn, and Melon Stand on Huntington Drive just west of the Santa Anita Motor Inn. The Sweetest corn and melon's you ever tasted, grown in the matchless soil of Old Rancho Santa Anita."
Aerial view east on Huntington Drive toward Arcadia from a position just west of Rosemead Boulevard. El Rancho Shopping Center and May Company Department Store can be seen as the business complex on the north side of Huntington Drive one block east of Rosemead Boulevard. Santa Anita Park Race Track can be seen on the left in upper portion of photo.
Six men shoveling sand as part of cleaning up following construction at Santa Anita Assembly Center for the Japanese. Four ladies are seen coming down stairs.
Sheep grazing beneath trees and apparently alongside a body of water (note extreme lower right section of photo). Believed to be on Rancho Santa Anita. Caption beneath one copy reads: "A pastoral scene on Santa Anita Rancho in 1890, just north of present Colorado Place."
Charles Francis Earl is seen standing next to a tractor, holding his young son, William Earl. Behind the Earl's is the vacant lot Mr. Earl purchased in the mid 1930s when it was a hayfield. The vacant lot as seen in this photo is shortly before construction began on their home in late 1951 and early 1952. When constructed, the address was 1050 Paloma Drive. See also Photo #1634.
Aerial view looking east along Huntington Drive taken over the Club House at Santa Anita Park Race Track. Pony Express Museum is just to right of the "y" intersection of Huntington Drive coming into Arcadia just below the wing of the plane. Theater that was opened in 1942 is almost directly opposite Museum. Santa Anita Motor Inn, two buildings east of theater, distinguished by tall tower, opened in 1938. (It was torn down in 1975.) The residential area directly north of there is known as Santa Anita Gardens. Santa Anita Avenue is just beyond Arcadia County Park on right.
Airport scene taken at the Arboretum. Airplane on left and part of hangar visible on right. A number of people are standing around by the hangar. Handwritten note on back of photo states, "The plane taking off from landing field just west of Rancho Santa Anita Park in 'Safari'."
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.
View inside Arcadia Public Library, 20 W. Duarte Road shortly before the start of construction for the 1995/96 expansion/remodel project. This photo is of the old reference desk before the remodel. The core reference collection is seen behind the semi-circular woodgrain desk.
Aerial view of Rancho Santa Anita taken above Dairy, looking north, with 5,000,000 gallon reservoir in lower left, and Baldwin's one mile training track built in 1876 with stud barn buildings on south end of track. Eaton's Santa Anita at Colorado Boulevard and Michillinda Avenue just visible at top of photo.