Anita Baldwin statue to be unveiled at Le Méridien Hotel in Arcadia
The Anita May Baldwin statue at the Le Méridien Hotel will be unveiled on Monday, Oct. 25, 2021 at 11 a.m. Anita is the daughter of city founder, Elias Jackson "Lucky" Baldwin. The statue will be featured on the opposite end of the Huntington Drive islands’ hotel property.
“We are very excited to be bringing Anita back to Arcadia,” said Mayor Sho Tay in a statement released by the city. “I would like to thank the Shen, Liu and Chen Families, Jeff Lee, the Dextra Baldwin McGonagle Foundation, Heather D. Gibson and Margaux L. Gibson, and the Arcadia Historical Society, for their generous donations.”
“On behalf of the Baldwin family, I would like to express my deepest gratitude to the Arcadia City Council, the Arcadia Historical Society, the Le Méridien Hotel and all those who have supported this effort to pay homage to my great-great grandmother, Anita May Baldwin,” said Margaux Gibson. “This magnificent statue of Anita will showcase a strong woman who was ahead of her time. I am proud to call Anita May Baldwin my great-great grandmother, and I am truly proud to be a part of this historic project.”
The Anita statue was sculpted by local artist and southern California native Alfred Paredes — who created the Lucky Baldwin statue on the corner of Huntington Drive and Holly Avenue — and is aptly named, “A Legacy of Charity” in honor of Anita’s contributions to life in early Arcadia and throughout California.
Floretta Lauber, the first woman to be elected to the Arcadia City Council and serve as mayor, has been elected to head the Arcadia Historical Society.
The Ruth and Charles Gilb Arcadia Historical Museum opened with a grand ceremony and ribbon cutting. A photograph shows Charles Gilb, Ruth Gilb, Micky Segal, Floretta Lauber and Carol Libby. A List of major donors is included.
The Ruth and Charles Gilb Arcadia Historical Museum is now in a city-owned building, with a curator paid through the city, and is managed by the library and museum director Janet Sporleder. The Arcadia Historical Society owns the collection and a new agreement commits the city and the society to jointly pay for an insurance policy.
Arcadia Depot and Oakwood Hotel historical marker dedication January 26 at Arcadia Transit Plaza, the former site of Atchison Topeka and Santa Fe Railway's Arcadia Depot. It is the Arcadia Historical Society's 11th History Lives Here historical marker.
History Lives Here-11th marker unveiled at Arcadia Transit Plaza. The latest marker features many railroads that once crisscrossed Arcadia and is placed at the former site of the Atchison Topeka and Santa Fe Railway's Arcadia Depot.
Arcadia Police Explorer Joseph Aaron Arredondo receives Lt. Edward Ostashay Scholarship from Friends of Arcadia Historical Society. In photo are Mayor Peter Amundson, Beverly Street, Officer Danny Daryaie and Arredondo.
Birthday Murder Mystery dinner held by Arcadia Historical Society at Prince Erik Hall. First-ever Carol Libby Youth Scholarship Award earned by Arianna Togelang.
Arcadia Historical Society reenacts true local crime at a mystery dinner party, as a fundraiser. It took place at the gardens of Prince Erik Hall, where the historical society is located.
Arcadia Historical Society dedicates its 9th "History Lives Here" historical marker at the Los Angeles County Arboretum, once the home of Arcadia founder, Elias J. "Lucky" Baldwin, on October 2, near the front entrance.
Arcadia Historical Society goes dramatic. Board members are forming a repertoire group called "Arcadia History Lives" and will, upon request, perform live skits recreating characters from Arcadia's past. Board members in photo shown in costume, including Beverly Street as Alice Billings (first president of Arcadia Woman's Club).