The Pasadena way
ASADENA IS A RELATIVELY NEW AREA WITH AN INTERESTING HISTORY.
The skateboarding scene there is strong but not overwhelming. The skaters have
a real understanding of what skateboarding is about and skate for all the right
reasons: to get better, to have fun, and to hang out with their friends, which is
ultimately the bond that holds skaters together.
HISTORY
This region was originally inhabited by the Hahamonga tribe,
led by Chief Hahamovic. On Easter Day 1769, Don Gaspar de
Portola and his band of explorers became the first white men to
see the waters of the Arroyo Seco, so naturally they assumed pos-
session of it in the name of their Spanish king, naming the area El
Rincón de San Pascual. In 1848, California was ceded to the
United States by Mexico; quickly following, two of the "Fathers of
Pasadena," Benjamin D. Wilson and Dr. John Griffin, purchased
the ranch for two Gs. In 1873 a group known as the California
Colony of Indiana bought 4,000 acres of land that was destined to
become the City of Pasadena from Dr. Griffin. That year brought a
weary economy, and with his prospects in question, Berry
changed his group's name to the San Gabriel Orange Grove
Association; he sold $25,000 worth of shares at 25 bucks a share
to Los Angeles residents eager to leave LA, starting a vicious tra-
dition that has spread throughout the Southern California deserts
and valleys over the last 100 years. On January 27, 1874, the 100
new settlers drove into town in their little horse-drawn buggies;
within six months they had successfully cultivated and built the
foundation that would grow into Pasadena.
Ben Schroeder plants an egg to try to beautify
his oil and sludge junkyard surroundings.
The word Pasadena was committed to this plot of land on April
22, 1875; in the Chippewa language, "passa-ka-miga" means valley
or plain, and "pig-wa-dena" means hill. The word Pasadena stems
from the combination of these two words, ultimately meaning
"valley in the hills" or "between the hills." There are some testi-
monies stating that the word means "Crown of the Valley."
Pasadena may be the crown of the valley, but it definitely ain't
The Valley; it's more like a vast plain. The vibe there is different
than in LA; you lose that weird city effect. It's a middle class city,
not snobby, not suburbia, and not ghetto. Geographically the land
separates East LA/Hollywood Hills and the San Gabriel
Mountains, 20 minutes north of LA. It's considered the San
Gabriel Valley but is really the crossroads of a tri-valley fork.
There are a few landmarks that one may identify with
Pasadena-the Rose Parade and the Rose Bowl (if you've ever
been hung over on New Year's Day, you've most likely suffered
through a broadcast of the Rose Parade), Pasadena Art Center,
the Huntington Library, California Institute of Technology
(CAL Tech), the Norton Simon Museum, and a plethora of other
prestigious institutions.
Words and photos
by Sean Peterson