A small school was set up in Miller's Hall. The Sierra Madre stagecoach stopped at the hotel. in spite of a major depression throughout most of the southland in the early 1890's - with falling prices, some commercial failures and property foreclosures, and with business lots that once sold for $1,500.00 sold again for as low as $100.00 - the people of the area held together and, incredibly, forged ahead with uncanny prosperity.

     A second major railroad, the Los Angeles Terminal Railway, was built through the area in 1890 and offered 24 scheduled trains a day to local riders. Then in 1895, an electric trolley system was built, to compete for the active passenger trade.

     A wooden trestle over the Arroyo Seco was replaced with a heavy steel bridge by the Santa Fe railroad in 1896 because of the heavier and longer trains using the right-of-way.

 Highland Park was annexed to the City of Los Angeles in 1895. Persuaded with a gift of 10 acres of land located at Pasadena Avenue (Figueroa Street) and Avenue 50 in Highland Park, Occidental college moved to the area in 1898, from its former site in Boyle Heights. The apparently prudent move developed to such a point that it attracted both President William Taft and Ex-President Theodore Roosevelt into the community, and to a visit to the small college campus, a few years later.

     Overlooking the Arroyo Seco, adjacent to the trolley tracks, the College of Fine Arts, an extension of the Univeristy of Southern California, opened in 1901 and operated for two decades. The buildings and grounds then became the Judson Studios, named after its founder and first dean.

     An influential group of women formed the Highland Park Ebell club in 1903, and when the elite ladies organization opened a clubhouse ten years later, more than 20,000 people attended the colorful ceremonies.

     A community newspaper, the Highland Park Herald, was established in 1905. A Masonic Lodge and the Bank of Highland Park were organized in 1906. The Los Angeles Railway the tracks of its "Yellow Car" system up through Highland Park in 1904, and down through York Valley in 1906.

     Churches of different denominations were established in the area at the time. The Annandale Country Club was established in 1906,  and was visited  a few years later by President Taft and by multimillionaire Andrew Carnegie. A reception held in 1910 in honor of the industrialist consisted of 283 guests, 57 of whom had achieved millionaire status. The putting "Greens" on the golf course were oiled sand.

     After a speaking engagement at the college in 1911, Roosevelt toured the area in a new convertible Buick with his long friend Charles Lummis, the most flamboyant local resident. After viewing the Arroyo Sec, Roosevelt remarked, "This Arroyo would make one of the greatest parks in the world." And so it was; but twelve years later, at the insistence of Lummis, the Ebell Club and the general public, the City of Los Angeles passed an ordinance to preserve, for all time 60 acres of land to become the Arroyo Seco Park system.

     Among a list of notable accomplishments, Lummis was City Editor of the Los Angeles Times for a few years, founded the Southwest museum, and maintained the sociable position of hosting lavish parties at his home, located next to the Arroyo Seco. His home was affevtionately called "El Alisal," named after a sycamore tree in his yard. His guests include exploer-writers John Burroughs and John Muir, and actor-entertainers Douglas Fairbanks and Will Rogers.

     Tom Mix starred in some feature films staged at the Garvaza Hotel. Benjamin Franklin High School opened its doors for instruction in the late teens and almost immediately, along with Occidental College, the campus was used as a training area for student-soldiers destined for service in World War I. more than 200 young men from the local area entered the armed forces.

     Several Red Cross units were opened in the area, some in local churches. The empty clubhouse of the Annandale Country Club (after the club had moved into new buildings, north of Colorado Boulevard), located next to Avenue 64, was used by Army Air Cadets during the conflict. An airstrip, which paralled the avenue, was located near a grove of eucalyptus trees, which provided camouflage for the planes.

     Music conductor/composer John Philip Sousa played at Sycamore Grove. Led by Red Milliken, local youngster Buster McCoy, Louie Burgermeier, and Bill Cannell wouldall ride their bicycles across the Pacific Electric Railway bridge, over the Arroyo Seco in the early 1920's, making sure to avoid any oncomming trolley cars.

     A swimming hole was created in the Arroyo Seco by swirling water washing against the large foundation rocks supported the steel structure of the newer Santa Fe bridge - this pool was used by local kids Ben, Gene, and Max Henry, Ray Archie, and Finias Breezie.

     After selling hot dogs and sodas to golfers outside the Annandale Coutry Club in the early 1920's, Lionel Sternberger was credited with "inventing" the cheeseburger at his Rite Spot roadside restraunt. The business moved into Highland Park, across from the local playground, and competed favorably with Chile-Ville.

     Ice was delivered into the community by the Pasadena Ice Company and the Union Ice Company. Major buinesses in the area included the bottled water companies - the Sparkling Artesian Water (Sparkletts), formed in 1925; Indian Head Water, opened in 1928; and Deep Rock Water.

     Three dairies served the immediate area; the Brookside Dairy, located near Meridian Street and Avenue 63; Palmer's Dairy, located at Collis and Avenue 60; and Bill Baird's Dairy, alo located on Collis Avenue.

     Working under the Works Program Administration, a federal assistance program, hundreds of poverty-striken men were put to work during the "Great Depression" to grade and concrete the Arroyo Seco, changing its use primarily into a flood control channel. Following the dry river, turn for turn, for a few miles was the Arroyo Seco Parkway, the state's first freeway, which was built under the same public program and opened to auto drivers in 1939. The Arroyo Seco Parkway ran from Pasadena to downtown Los Angeles.

     Civil defense volunteers and air raid wardens kept a virgil around the community during World War II. Local residents assisted the total war effort by helping with scrap drives, rationing critical supplies - food and gasoline- observing black out regulations, and growing a portion of their own food.

     The soap Box Derby, a contest to determine the fastest homebuilt rubber wheeled coaster, was staged on the hill located on La Prada Street at Figueroa Street. Entrants an their engineless " cars" had to meet tough physical and safety standards to qualify for the event.

     Some major sports/athletic personalities attended th triple crown winner in tennis (Include Wimbledon) in 1939; and Sammy Lee, olympic diving champion in both 1948 and 1952 Summer Games.

©Coryright 1991 by Donna Harnsberger