Aerial view looking down on Fashion Park from a position over intersection of Baldwin & Huntington Drive. Looking N toward Santa Anita Race Track grandstand during racing season (all of the cars parked on light-surfaced parking area are attending races.)
Many horses with riders are seen galloping west across infield of original Elias J."Lucky" Baldwin Santa Anita Race Track. We were told by Vesta Tucker Reeves, that the infield was used for rodeos when racing season was not in progress. This apparently was taken from grandstand.
Page from Los Angeles Times of March 21, 1909 telling of the coming end of racing at Santa Anita Park when State of California will close it with the ban on horse racing, April 20, 1909. See legible copy in VF Baldwin, Elias J. "Lucky"-Horses and Horse Racing.
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.
View of Santa Anita Race Track from the parking lot, looking toward the front entrance. View includes hundreds of 1930's era automobiles in parking lot, all facing front. Tree on left of photo.
In this photo, one staff member in dark sweater leans on large table set up to check belongings of new arrivals to Santa Anita Assembly Center for the Japanese. Approximately twelve Japanese wait for the check. Other staff members and police are standing about one large truck and two autos.
Photo of complimentary day pass to 1908-1909 season at Baldwin's Santa Anita Race Track signed by F.G. Randle, secretary and treasurer of Los Angeles Racing Association.
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 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.
About ten thoroughbreds and jockeys, round turn toward finish of a race at Santa Anita Park. San Gabriel Mountains loom up behind. One can tell that this is early years of the track because of the dust kicked up by horses. Later, track was completely excavated and new improved mixture was put in place.
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.
Three men in business suits standing in front of grandstand at Santa Anita Park. They are, L-R: Dr. Charles H. Strub, long time Vice-President and General Manager of the Los Angeles Turf Club and credited with founding of Santa Anita Park; Gwynn Wilson, Treasurer and Assistant General Manager, and Robert P. Strub, manager of operations and later to become head of the Corporation. They are looking at antique column sundial installed in 1956 in center of walking ring.