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.
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.
Michillinda Avenue is street running parallel to left edge of photo. Santa Anita Avenue is close to right edge of photo. Four tracks are in view. Left to right they would be: 1. Training track used by Elias J. "Lucky" Baldwin, 2. Aborted L. A. Jockey Club Track project of Anita Baldwin and Joe Smoot in 1933, 3. Small training track belonging to Santa Anita Park Race Track, and 4. Main track and grandstand of Santa Anita Park. Arcadia County Park is seen in lower right portion of photo.
Aerial view. Looking east. Street along right edge of photo which is lined with trees is Duarte Road. Santa Anita Avenue cuts across photo from right to left and up into the San Gabriel Mountains. Huntington Drive can be seen in center of photo with young trees planted on north side of it. Santa Anita Race Track is one furthest from camera. The next small track is a training track belonging to Santa Anita. There is a VERY small round track across the street from the training track, which was part of a private horse stables. The incompleted oval was part of work done in 1933 by Joe Smoot and Anita Baldwin in their effort to develop the Jockey Club Track. This photo belongs to the Huntington Library. It is shown here for research only.
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.
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.
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.
Dr. Charles H. Strub brought horse racing back to Arcadia. After the state made it legal again in 1930, Anita Baldwin tried to revive her father, Elias J. "Lucky" Baldwin's dream of a Santa Anita Racetrack. She worked with Joe Smoot but he couldn't achieve this, even though Arcadia City Council licensed his Santa Anita Jockey Club. San Francisco dentist Charles H. Strub (pronounced Stroob), owner of the San Francisco Seals baseball team, got a license for the Los Angeles Turf Club and founded Santa Anita Park with Hal Roach and other promoters. The track was designed by Gordon Kaufman and opened December 25, 1934.
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.
Panorama of Santa Anita Race Track built by E.J."Lucky" Baldwin and opened December 7, 1907. Main club house with three cupolos atop is on left. There are about 8 jockeys and their mounts on track and the grandstand is filled.
In this aerial view looking toward the east, the oval directly in the center of photo was a training track belonging to Santa Anita. This was removed to make room for the Fashion Park mall. The small circular track across what is now Baldwin Avenue and the oval track farther south belonged to a private riding stable. The remains of the Los Angeles Jockey Club Track which Joe Smoot and Anita Baldwin started but did not complete in 1933, can be seen in lower right corner. This photo belongs to the Huntington Library. It is shown here for research only.
Winery (brick portion of building) built according to Lupe Cuellar, in 1876. Shed built of wood was added later and converted to carpentry shop for Santa Anita Race Track. Winery was located on low hills just north of present race track building.
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 south on Baldwin Avenue. From position just north of Huntington Drive (during racing season) showing great number of cars coming east on Huntington Drive to races through Gate #1. One building in Santa Anita Park Race Track parking lot is Fire Station at 630 S. Baldwin Avenue. Duarte Road is distantly seen in upper portion of photo, about 1 1/4 in. from top of photo. The multi-storied Medical Building seen is at 612 W. Duarte Road.
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.
Aerial view toward SW from position just north of Santa Anita Race Track with large crowd in attendance. View shows planting design on the infield, the clubhouse, and to the west, the former training track belonging to Santa Anita. This and stables were removed or relocated to make room for the Fashion Park. Baldwin Avenue was not cut through at this time. This photo belongs to the Huntington Library. It is shown here for research only.
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 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.