The history of the peafowl from Indian and Java that live in Arcadia is presented. Elias J. "Lucky" Baldwin imported three pairs from India in the 1880s. His daughter Anita Baldwin added some birds from Java. The peacock is official bird of Arcadia, is protected, and should not be fed. See also VF "Peacocks" for copy of article.
Historical information on Baldwin Lake, the four-acre body of water that adjoins the Queen Anne Cottage in the historical section of the Los Angeles County Arboretum, is presented. The history of lake extends from time of the Native Americans (they called their village Aleupkigna), to Elias J. "Lucky" Baldwin's ranch in 1873, to the movies and television shows in which it has appeared. Baldwin Lake played host to movie stars Johnny Weismuller, Bob Hope, Bing Crosby and Dorothy Lamour. The lake has appeared in Safari, Roots, and Fantasy Island. See also VF "Arboretum" for hard copy of article.
Writer Charles Cooper recounts the history of the Los Angeles County Arboretum, including previous landowners Hugo Reid and Elias J. ("Lucky") Baldwin.
Charles Cooper continues his series "Memories of Arcadia" with a story about the Santa Anita Assembly Center for the Japanese, where at its height, it housed more than 18,000 people. Japanese had a long local history, dating back to workers on the Santa Anita Ranch, and local residents had the uncomfortable feeling of seeing friends behind the wire at the track.
Arcadia Planning Commission voted to support the Rancho Santa Anita Homeowners Association's Architecture Review Board (ARB) in its decision to reject changes in Ibraham Irawan's home under construction at 821 San Vicente Road.
The Anoakia developer cannot bulldoze the Anita Baldwin mansion without a demolition permit which will not be granted by the city until certain requirements are met.
The peacock is the official bird of Arcadia. The designation happened last week.The city has had an official flower, the azalea, since 1963. City Council selected the oak as the official tree.
Anoakia Estates model homes to open for viewing by this spring. The community is made up of 31 luxury homes. Developer is Tom Hover. The homes were constructed on the site of Anoakia, an estate owned by Anita Baldwin, daughter of Arcadia city founder, Elias J. "Lucky" Baldwin, at Foothill Boulevard and Baldwin Avenue. The homes will be 2-stories, and 5,000-6,000 square feet.
Three sites are being considered for senior and/or low-income housing. They are: Marketowne at 150 W. Las Tunas Drive, the old Westerner Hotel at 161 W. Colorado Place, and the old Mounted Police site at 600 E. Live Oak Avenue.
Construction begins on Anoakia luxury housing development, on the former site of Anoakia, Anita Baldwin's mansion, on the corner of Baldwin Avenue and Foothill Boulevard in Arcadia. The Anoakia Mansion was demolished last August to make way for 31 homes to be built by Hover Development Inc. of Newport Beach. Anita Baldwin, daughter of Lucky Baldwin, lived there until her death in 1939. It was used as a girls' school from 1941 to the late 1970s. The new housing development is 19 acres.
Santa Anita Courthouse, located in Monrovia, which serves Monrovia, Arcadia, and Duarte, is being considered for shutdown by the Los Angeles Superior Court Executive Committee.