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340 HISTORY OP PASADENA. 



' i^c^,.^Z^.^s;:^e-y^j'\ ^^^ friendly personal letter accompanying 



<^*>«»v Of ^ ^j^^, this document was accidentally destroyed 



BluA^^>^sL■^^^^J^^'L'>^■^^ ^ since Dr. Elliott's death, but this historic slip 



/^ ^^l^f .''''' '^^ chanced to be preserved. Mrs. Elliott had 



/<(Uj ^ ^ VflJt&xj '- never seen or known personally the man 



akei^^»y^^(d:jkeCif^<^ — who wrote it, and cannot recall his name, nor 



^. -^"-^i?^ ;2#-^*^ly ^jjg pj^j,g where he was then located ; but she 



4cc<nzcU^^^c.j4.^f ^^^ vouches for this document as the original 



&&u.ft>-L,.^cc oooT-,4 ~~~ slip or memorandum which came enclosed in 



the missing letter. Hence, here we have the 

 true genesis of the name " Pasadena."* And 

 ^^^ arises the question of how the name 



Original Notes for name Pasadena. i. !_ r 11 j _i j 



* came to be formally adopted. 



Hon. P. M. Green wrote a brief historic sketch for the Farnsworth 

 pamphlet entitled " A Southern California Paradise," which was printed at 

 Oakland, Cal., in 1883 ; and in this Mr. Green relates: 



" At a meeting of the stockholders of the San Gabriel Orange Grove 

 Association held on the 22d day of April, 1875, the question of selecting a 

 permanent name came up for consideration. A number of names were 

 suggested, and among them Indianola, Granada, and Pasadena. A lengthy 

 discussion ensued as to which should be adopted. Those in favor of 

 Indianola argued that the change from "Indiana Colony" to Indianola 

 would be most easily effected, and that the name would retain a hint of the 

 origin of the settlement. Those in favor of Granada argued that our 

 productions and climatic conditions were similar to those of the region of 

 that Granada which the genius of an Irving had immortalized, and therefore 

 would be appropriate. 



"The late Dr. T. B. Elliott presented the name Pasadena, and stated 

 that it was an Indian name, the meaning of which was ' Crown of the 

 Valley,' and argued its appropriateness for the reason that our location was 

 at the extreme end, and in the most beautiful and romantic portion, of the 

 famous San Gabriel valley, and therefore was entitled to assume a name 

 which was so descriptive of the locality, besides being beautiful, musical, 

 and euphonious. A motion to adopt the name 'Pasadena' prevailed by 

 a vote of more than four to one of those present. So, to Dr. Elliott the 

 community is indebted for the name Pasadena, so dear to every inhabitant 

 of these peopled valleys, slopes, and plains which now bear that name." 



Dr. Elliott died August 13, 1881. 



The name Pasadena has heretofore been used in a comprehensive way 

 to include all the territory from the Arroyo Seco to Eaton canyon, and from 

 lyincoln park to the numerous mountain resorts which are connected by trail, 

 toll-road or railroad with Pasadena. But now, in order to distinguish this 



*"In family conclave we discussed the list, but my father at once settled upon the Chippewa name 

 of Pasadena as his choice, it being euphonious, of fitting length, and easily spelled, so Pasadena it was 

 decided should be the one name of the list put before the meeting. It seemed to please the majority, 

 and being put to a vote, became the choice. Thus ' Pasadena ' came into legal existence among civilized 

 peoples." — Mrs. Helen Elliott Bandini, in Pasadena Daily News, Dec. 24, iSg4. 



I 



