Tuesday, October 17, 2017

With Three Big Events, It’s Two Busy Weeks Ahead for Altadena Historical Society

Program on Monday, Fundraiser on Thursday and Exhibit Opening Nov. 4

Altadena Historical Society has two busy weeks ahead with events for the community:

Next Monday, Oct. 23, AHS sponsors a program on San Gabriel Mountains explorer and conservationist Will Thrall, called “Southern California’s John Muir.”

Presented by Thrall’s biographer Ronald C. Woolsey, the free program will be at 7:30 p.m. in the Altadena Community Center, 730 E. Altadena Drive.

Woolsey will accompany his talk with an exhibit of Thrall memorabilia, and copies of his book “Will Thrall and the San Gabriels, A Man to Match the Mountains” will be available for purchase.

Two days later, on Thursday, Oct. 26, the Historical Society is holding a fundraiser from 6 to 9 p.m. at the Mount Lowe Brewing Co., 150 E. Saint Joseph St., Arcadia, celebrating the upcoming launch of AHS’s Mount Lowe website.

The event will feature characterizations of Prof. Thaddeus Lowe and his wife, Leontine, by Lowe experts Steve and Patrice Demory, costumed in fashions of the late-1800s.

Demory said that he and his wife look forward to greeting and mingling with guests and answering questions about the Lowes’ fascinating lives.

In addition to Mount Lowe Brewing Co.’s eight craft beers and ales named in tribute to Prof. Lowe and his famous incline railway, the Pellegrino food truck will be present featuring Italian entrees, sandwiches and desserts.

There is no admission charge or reservation required; the event is open to the public and the brewery will donate 10 percent of the day’s proceeds to AHS. Mount Lowe Brewing Co. welcomes children and pets, and is located within blocks of the Gold Line Arcadia station.

Then on Saturday, Nov. 4, from 2 to 4 p.m., the Historical Society will host an open house launching its new exhibit and its new website. The exhibit and opening event will be in the society’s museum and archives in the Community Center.

“Inspired by the San Gabriels: Five Men and the Mountains” will showcase five men who dedicated their lives to exploring, charting, promoting and conserving the San Gabriel Mountains–George Wharton James, Theodore Lukens, Will Thrall, Don McClain, and L.T. Gotchy.

In addition to its new exhibit, the society will launch its Mount Lowe Website featuring the photos, maps and documents on the famous incline railway that the society has collected and preserved in its archives.

The result of a generous grant from Southern California Edison and several years of work by Historical Society volunteers and consultants, the web site is divided into a dozen sections covering the times, visionaries, builders, visitors, heydays and downfall of Altadena’s famous Mount Lowe Railway.

Altadena Historical Society is open from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Mondays, Tuesdays and Fridays, and by appointment at (626) 797-8016 or altadenahistorical.society@yahoo.com. Its website is altadenahistoricalsociety.org.