The south lake of the Los Angeles State and County Arboretum has dropped from three acres in surface area to about two acres. In 1958, the center depth was nine feet. Now it is two feet.
California Gourd Society's annual Gourd Fair at the Arboretum will include works of hundreds of professional gourd artists and students from the Sequoyah School in Pasadena. Featured artist Denise Meyers will be the keynote speaker.
The Arboretum has been awarded a $25,000 grant from the Institute of Museum Services. The money will be used for a computerized system to inventory and store information on the Arboretum's plant collection.
Photo and text of an L.A. Times newspaper article titled "Historic Santa Anita Tract Deed Delivered to County," describing the transfer of deed for 111-acre tract from Rancho Santa Anita, Inc. to the Los Angeles County Supervisors. The article states that the property will be converted into an arboretum.
The Atlantic Richfield Company has contributed $25,000 to the Arboretum to ensure resumption of several programs cut with the passage of Proposition 13.
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'."
Three men are standing on a small boat during filming of a movie at the Arboretum. Handwritten note states,"John Payne in Enchanted Voyage - July, 1945 - Rancho Santa Anita."
The new Hall of Environmental Education at the Arboretum has been completed and will open to the public shortly. The 8,000 sq. ft. auditorium in the new building accommodates nearly 1,000 people. It will be used for exhibits, classes and shows.
The plant sale on Saturday, May 3rd, at the Los Angeles County Arboretum and Botanic Garden, proved to be a gardner's delight with various plants that are difficult to find.
Peter Atkine, Chief Executive Officer of the Arboretum, has told the Los Angeles Arboretum Foundation Board of Trustees that he will resign as of July 1.
The 22nd annual Baldwin Bonanza begins tomorrow, including a barbecue, live and silent auctions, and plant sale. The arboretum's finances and budget are discussed.
Man is riding bicycle on a path inside Rancho Santa Anita Park and Lake (later, the Arboretum), with many palm trees. Sign reads "Open to the Public Daily until 7PM, private property" and "Curves, drive slowly through park." The following information is from Sandy Snider: This is indeed, today’s Arboretum, but at the time the property was owned by a real estate syndicate named Rancho Santa Anita Inc. The enterprise was headed by the Chandler family (Harry until he died), and they bought the land from Anita Baldwin in 1936 for purposes of residential development. About 1939 they opened “the park” to visitors in hopes of encouraging land sales. About 30 acres surrounding the lake was sort of set aside as Santa Anita Park and Lake, that was roughly the area made available for movie location rentals and clearly for bicyclists, etc. 1939 is the circa date for this photograph, but it could have been anytime between 1936 and 1947 (when the land was sold to State and County for use as an Arboretum). The granite boulders lining roadways were typical Baldwin Ranch landscape features, and the pillars seen in the photo are also from Baldwin times. In the background you can see more boulders in a circular sort of shape – likely the old Baldwin Lily Pond.
Article discusses severe budget and staff cuts at the Arboretum. Since 1975 the staff has been cut by 40 percent. The most recent county budget cut another $250,000 from the department.
Suzanne Gilstrap, who was paralyzed for life when a 20-foot-long tree limb fell on her at the Los Angeles County Arboretum on July 25, 1977, has won a $1,625,000 settlement from the County. Miss Gilstrap, now 16, has appeared as a paraplegic in a recent television movie, "Skyward," with Bette Davis.
