Pasadena Rose Bowl

Some History of Pasadena, CA

The land now famous for the Tournament of Roses, the Rose Bowl, the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, and California Institute of Technology, was once occupied by the Hahamogna Tribe of Native Americans. Subsisting on local game and vegetation, the Hahamognas lived in villages scattered along the Arroyo Seco and the canyons from the mountains down to the South Pasadena area. With the arrival of the Spaniards and the establishment of the San Gabriel Mission on September 8, 1771, most of the Native Americans were converted and provided labor for the mission.

In 1886 Pasadena incorporated.  In the ensuing decade, amenities such as sewers, paved streets, and electric street lighting were installed.  On January 1, 1890, the Valley Hunt Club initiated a mid-winter festival with a procession of flower-bedecked horses and carriages. This became a yearly tradition that in 1898 was formally sponsored by the Tournament of Roses Association.

Throop Polytechnic Institute (first named Throop University) was founded in 1891 and later became the California Institute of Technology.  In 1901 Pasadena became a charter city with an elected mayor.

Through the end of the 1920's, Pasadena continued to enjoy a reputation as a tourist center and winter resort for the wealthy. The city had much to offer culturally. The Pasadena Community Playhouse was incorporated in 1917 and moved to the new Pasadena Playhouse in 1925.  A 100-inch telescope was installed atop  Mt. Wilson under the direction of Dr. George Ellery Hale in 1917.  The Pasadena City Junior College District was created in 1924.  The Grace Nicholson Gallery (which became the Pasadena Art Institute in 1943 and is now the Pacific Asia Museum) was completed in 1926 and the Pasadena Civic Symphony Orchestra and Civic Chorus was founded by Tuesday Musicale in 1929. The city government, which changed to a Board of Directors/City Manager structure in 1921, expanded municipal facilities. The Rose Bowl stadium and Brookside Park recreation facility were built. A 1923 city bond issue financed the construction of a handsome Civic Center, consisting of the Central Library (opened on February 12, 1927), City Hall (opened on December 27, 1927) and the Civic Auditorium (which opened in 1932).

World War II set Pasadena on the path to modern industrial growth. During the war, hotels in Pasadena were used as military command headquarters. The Vista del Arroyo Hotel was purchased by the Army and became a convalescent hospital for the wounded. Led by Caltech and the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, which became focal points of research and development for the war effort, Pasadena evolved into a center for industrial research and light manufacture of scientific and electronic precision instruments. By 1954 there were 394 industrial establishments in Pasadena.

The year of 1969 marked the opening of the Pasadena Art Museum of Modern Art (now the Norton Simon Museum of Art) and the closure of the renowned Pasadena Playhouse, sold at auction after years of financial difficulties. Plans for the Foothill and Long Beach Freeways, which would link Pasadena to major arteries on the east, west and south were underway,

Caltech's satellite laboratory, The Jet Propulsion Lab (JPL), was responsible for several of NASA's successes in the 1980s and 1990s including deep space navigation and communication, digital image processing, intelligent automated  systems, and microelectronics.

As Pasadena looks toward the future it seeks to balance growth with community needs, historic character, a diverse economic base, and a safe, healthy family community.

Pasadena Rose Parade





Pasadena City Hall


Pasadena Rose Bowl

Information From City History  -  City of Pasadena.net

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