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Rick Thomas
Author Rick Thomas is the former museum curator and vice-chair of education for the South Pasadena Preservation Foundation. He served on the South Pasadena Natural Resources Commission, helping to maintain a strict policy protecting the city’s great old-growth trees. Using touchstone photographs from his own collection—one of the San Gabriel Valley’s largest accumulations of historical images and artifacts—as well as national, state, and local historical archives, Thomas provides a window to his city’s past and an understanding of why its preservation is so important.
Throwback Thursday | South Pasadena’s Beloved Rialto Theater
The once thriving Blockbuster Video is today a Blaze Pizza and its kitty-corner neighbor – the city’s historic centerpiece Rialto Theater – is now occupied by the Mosaic Church. South Pasadena resides in the...
Throwback Thursday | The Solar Motor
The Cawston Ostrich Farm was the site of the world’s first successful experiment using a solar-powered motor for commercial use. Aubrey Eneas selected Cawston’s Ostrich farm in sunny South Pasadena to showcase his monstrous,...
Throwback Thursday | Will You Be My Valentine?
Tourists visiting the Cawston Ostrich Farm in South Pasadena enjoyed posing for photos with “ostrich couples” such as the popular comic strip characters, Jiggs and Maggie.
To honor past presidents and first ladies, Edwin Cawston...
Throwback Thursday | South Pasadena’s World-Famous Ostrich Farm
Edwin Cawston, English adventurer and world traveler, was one of the first to realize there was big money to be made ostrich farming in America. He established an ostrich breeding farm in Norwalk in...
Throwback Thursday | Feathers of Stage and Screen
In 1927 the Franchon & Marco’s vaudeville show featuring the Sunkist Beauties performed at the Rialto theater in South Pasadena. The ostrich farm in town supplied the ostrich feather plumes for the dance troop’s...
Throwback Thursday | First Passenger Air Service in America
In 1913, Roy Knabenshue began the first passenger air service in America by taking paying customers of the Raymond Hotel in South Pasadena in his dirigible on a flight 800 feet in the air...
Throwback Thursday | Winter Paradise
The discovery of gold and later “black gold” (oil) drew large numbers prospectors and opportunity seekers to California. Locally, ranching and agriculture helped the economy grow during the late 1800s.
The San Gabriel Valley soon...
Throwback Thursday | California Bound
In 1900, stories about the west were published and first-hand accounts were reported back to residents on the east coast, causing many to leave the safety of their homes for California. In the satirical...
Throwback Thursday | New Year’s Day 1892
On Tournament of Roses Day in South Pasadena, 1892, guests are seated in Thaddeus Lowe’s personal tallyho at the grand entrance of the Royal Raymond. The rose-laden tallyho is about to depart for a...
Throwback Thursday | Rose Bowl Edition
The first New Year’s Day football classic at the Rose Bowl was played in 1923. The Tournament selected the teams that year, Penn State and USC. The Hugo Bezdek-coached Penn State team arrived late...
Throwback Thursday | The Royal Raymond
In the 1880s wealthy visitors from the Midwest and East Coast stayed at The Royal Raymond in South Pasadena mostly to escape the harsh winter.
The Boston-based travel agency Raymond and Whitcomb and local area...
Throwback Thursday | What? Real Snow in South Pasadena? The Year was 1949
On January 11, 1949, the palms along Stratford Avenue were flocked with the “real white stuff” (not movie magic). South Pasadena became a winter wonderland when a freak snowfall covered Los Angeles and San...
Throwback Thursday | El Centro School
The historic school site adjacent to the public library on El Centro Street is a vital property for achieving educational excellence in South Pasadena for over 130 years. The original Center Street School that...
Throwback Thursday | BABY!
To help promote South Pasadena’s new start-up business in the late 1800’s Edwin Cawston created a brand logo he named the “Cawston Baby.” In the photo, she is sitting with newly hatched baby ostriches....
Throwback Thursday | Thanksgiving Edition
Probably the first thing that comes to mind on Thanksgiving is the meal. For many families, the turkey is to Thanksgiving as the pine tree is to the winter holidays. A century ago in...
Throwback Thursday | The South Pasadenan
In 1893, George W. Glover founded South Pasadena’s first successful newspaper, South Pasadenan.
He ran the paper for 15 years during the fledgling municipality’s formative years. Glover was a passionate tree lover, and on April...
