On the way to the management offices, security, and the restrooms on the second floor in the center of the Westfield Santa Anita mall, customers may be surprised to spot a mini gallery of large historical photos.

The photos, compiled by the Arcadia Historical Society — specifically Sandy Snider — at the request of Westfield marketing director Amanda Farnsworth Glover, showcase Arcadia founder Lucky Baldwin and his vineyard, winery, and orchard on land in the late 19th century and early 20th century where Westfield Santa Anita mall sits today, plus photos of Baldwin’s store and self-branded wine.

There is also a blow-up of an aerial shot of the area shortly after the building of Santa Anita Park race track and years before the mall was opened in the 1970s.

More photos of the display can be found at ArcadiasBestNews Facebook page. Be sure to click “Like” on the top of the page so you won’t miss any other photo albums or postings about Arcadia.

– By Scott Hettrick 

Margaux Viera, great-great-great granddaughter of Arcadia founder Elias “Lucky” Baldwin held nearly 50 attendees in rapt attention at Sunday’s (Jan. 22, 2012) Arcadia Historical Society General Membership quartely program at the Lutheran Church of the Cross.

She discussed her plans to build a statue of Baldwin, work with Society on a related Historical Marker at the statue, restore several key elements at the L.A. County Arboretum, and pursue the production of a movie depicting the story of Baldwin.

Margaux decribed the statue of Lucky that she is commissioning to be built and placed near the west end of the Community Center parking lot in the rose garden at the point of property at which Campus Drive splits off from eastbound Huntington Drive.

The mother of a young daughter, and a son on the way, said that with the death of her grandmother (called Anita after Lucky’s daughter of the same name) and her father in recent years, she has become interested for the first time in learning more about her ancestors. She also now has the resources to fund the statue and other projects that will revive the memories of the woman she admires and Anita’s multi-talented and accomplished father, Lucky.

Lucky Baldwon's relatives meet for first time at Society event: Lucky's great-great-great granddaughter Margaux Viera (left), Lucky's great-great-great nephew Michael Golden (right), and Michael's son David Golden (center).

She is working with L.A. County Arboretum CEO Richard Schulhof to dredge and restore the lake in front of the Queen Anne Cottage, and plans to direct some of the “large donation” she is making to the Arboretum to the restoration of what is now known as the Hugo Reid Adobe. Like the Baldwn Adobe Restoration Committee, Margaux would like to see the adobe returned to the way it stood when it was the home place  for Lucky Baldwin, who lived and died in a leg of what was then an “L” shaped building that was torn down decades ago. Hugo Reid never lived in the adobe, which he built as more of a tool shed to comply with a land ownership requirement that he have a structure on the premises which he visited infrequently.

Margaux said she has begun meeting with screenwriters in hopes of getting a movie produced about Lucky to show how many things he accomplished in his life, from building several elaborate hotels to employing many minorities at his ranch and creating and managing a vineyard. She answered many questions from the interested audience, and was even introduced by Society President Gene Glasco to two distant cousins in the audience whom she had never met, Lucky’s great-great-great nephew Michael Golden and his son David Golden. Michael Golden is David’s father.

She also showed and described family items she has inherited over the years, including her favorite, a locket of Anita’s with a tiny flip-book of photos from Europe. She also shared framed photos of her family as well as  two jackets, one of which belonged to Anita that her sister Heather wore at her school prom and which Margaux wore at her wedding.

Dozens of attendees stayed after the program to visit with Margaux, one of whom asked her to autograph a 2003 anthology book edited by current Mayor Gary Kovacic called Visions of Arcadia.

– By Scott Hettrick

Margaux Viera, great, great, great, granddaughter of the founder of Arcadia, Lucky Baldwin, will be the featured speaker at the Jan. 22 quarterly membership meeting of the Arcadia Historical Society.

Margaux Viera

Margaux Viera as a child sitting in front of her great, great, great grandfather's Queen Anne Cottage at the Arboretum.

Viera, who has worked in the fashion industry and who is preparing to present a statue of her famous ancestor to the City of Arcadia this summer, will share clothing, jewelry, and other items she inherited from her great, great grandmother Anita Baldwin.

The program coordinated by Society member Carol Libby will be held at 2:30 p.m. Sunday, January 22, in the fireside room of the Lutheran Church of the Cross, 66 W. Duarte Road in Acadia.

Refreshments will be served at the program that is free and open to the public.

 – By Scott Hettrick

The Arcadia City Council unanimously approved a nine-foot bronze statue of Arcadia founder Lucky Baldwin to be built and placed this summer in the Monsignor Gerald M. O’Keeffe Rose Garden at the point of the land on the west end of the Community Center parking lot between Campus and Huntington Drives.

Digital simulation of what the Lucky Baldwin statue might look like in Rose Garden. Statue shown is of Matthias William Baldwin in front of Philadelphia City Hall. The pedestal shown is much higher than one anticipated for Lucky Baldwin statue.

The statue, with an estimated cost of nearly $60,000, has been proposed and will be paid for by Margaux Viera, the great-great-great granddaughter of Baldwin. She has selected Southern California sculptor Alfred Paredes.

The City has agreed to cover up to $25,000 for the cost of building a pedestal for the statue and installing lighting and landscaping around it. The $25,000 would not come from taxpayer General Funds but a trust provided by Westfield Santa Anita in 2005 (as part of the approval process for the expansion to the mall) to be used specifically for public art.

– By Scott Hettrick

Vince Foley will lead a discussion of remembrances of the Arcadia floats on the Rose Parade at 1 p.m. Friday, Dec. 16 at the Ruth & Charles Gilb Arcadia Historical Museum, 380 W. Huntington Drive (photo below).
His comments will be part of an opening reception for a one-month exhibit of large framed photos of dozens of the floats donated by the Arcadia Chamber of Commerce to the Arcadia Public Library and Museum. The Library has more than a dozen on the framed photos on display. The Chamber has had the other 17 photos of floats from the 1980s and 1990s on display at its office since the Arcadia Tournament of Roses Association was dissolved by Foley in 1999.

The Library and Museum will now be responsible for the care and broader community accessibility and display of the photos per an agreement between the Chamber and the Library and Museum.

Updated Dec. 16: Former Arcadia float Queens and Princesses surround Chamber president Bob Hoffman at the opening reception; Left-to-right in photo at right 1977 Princess Sandi (Thistlewaite) Consiglio; 1985 Princess Tammi Herron; and 1987-88 Queen Maria (McCann) Glover.

Many more photos from reception here at Chamber Facebook page (be sure to click “Like”).

– By Scott Hettrick