DIVISION FOUR — BOOM. 303 



" On Saturday Mr. Webster made the purchase from Gen. Ward for 

 Mr. A. Cruickshank, our dry goods merchant, of the lot adjoining the 

 Harper & Reynolds store, known as the " Boss Forge" lot, 37^ feet front, 

 for $3,500 ; and on the same day Mr. Webster bought of Gen. Ward, also 

 for Mr. Cruickshank, a lot fronting on Fair Oaks Avenue, between Williams' 

 block and Hentig's plumbing shop, 25 feet front and extending back to the 

 "Boss Forge " lot. The price of this was $1,000, and it is purchased as an 

 outlet to the lots fronting on Colorado. On the following Monday evening 

 Mr. Webster also purchased of Dr. Radebaugh the latter' s fine lot 50 feet 

 front by 208 deep, on Colorado street, adjoining the " Boss Forge " lot, for 

 $4,500.* On the two Colorado street lots — the "Boss Forge" and the 

 Radebaugh lot — having an aggregate frontage of 91 feet, there is now to be 

 erected by a company consisting of A. Cruickshank, G. A. Swartwout, Gen. 

 Edwin Ward and E. C. Webster, a magnificent brick block, three stories 

 high and divided into four stores." 



These latter transactions all pertain to land where the Carlton Hotel 

 now stands. 



The Pasadena Union of March 12, 1886, footed up real estate sales 

 amounting to $101,000 which had been made within the three days — March 

 loth, nth, 1 2th. As a time-bubble, this beat the record. 



The first boom sale of lots in Pasadena, with "grand excursion, brass- 

 band and free-lunch attachments," was worked up by the real estate firm of 

 Ward Bros., early in 1886 ; and as a prelude to the sensational novelty the 

 Valley Union of February 5th reported thus : 



" Ward Brothers have made a big sale this week, being 20 acres of Dr. 

 O. H. Conger's land on Colorado street and Pasadena Avenue, for $15,000 

 cash.f The purchasers are a syndicate, seven in number, as follows : B. 

 W. Bates (late of New York city, now occupying Ward Brothers' dwelling 

 here), Frank M. Ward, Walter R. E. Ward, P. M. Green, A. O. Porter, 

 C. S. Martin and H. G. Bennett. The purchase does not include Dr. Con- 

 ger's dwelling property but lies east of the orange orchard. The tract is E 

 shaped, the longer stem of which has 363 feet frontage on Colorado street, 

 adjoining A. K. McQuiUing's. At this width, 363 feet, it runs back 1,200 

 feet to the rear of McOuilling's land, and thence for 600 feet further, widens 

 sufficiently to reach Pasadena Avenue. The purchase is for purpose of sub- 

 division." 



The syndicate opened up through this tract Vernon Avenue, Grove 

 street, and an extension of Kansas [now Green] street. The auction took 

 place on Tuesday, February 23, 1886. A trainload of people came up from 

 Eos Angeles to see the fun, hear the brass band, and eat the free lunch, 

 which latter consisted of beef sandwiches, bread and butter, oranges and 

 lemonade. Out of eighty-four lots offered, seventy- seven were sold, the 

 prices ranging all along from $520, paid by J. W. Wood, down to $x8o paid 

 by J. S. Mills for one out of six lots bought by him — the others being at higher 



* Dr. Radebaugh had bought this lot four years before for |250. 

 t Dr. Conger had paid only $2,000 for his whole 30 acres. 



