342 HISTORY OF PASADENA. 



ness for the solemn truth by Bancroft of San Francisco (Railway Guide), 

 Mrs. Cora B. Foster of Texas, and others, and made the basis of their 

 strained efforts to derive the name from the Spanish language, instead of 

 from " some ajicient and lost langtiage," as the witty Major did. 



AlTAdena. — The name " Altadena " was coined and first used by 

 Byron O. Clark, to designate his 40-acre nursery and home place at the up- 

 per stretch of the I^incoln Avenue flat. This was in the spring of 1886 ; 

 and the first time the name appeared formally in print was on a stock of en- 

 velopes for his nursery business which he procured about that time. The 

 meaning attached .to it was, "the higher Pasadena"; and in regard to its 

 later and larger application Mr. Clark in response to my inquiries, wrote me 

 January 28, 1895, thus : 



' ' When the Pasadena Improvement Company was organized [incorpor- 

 ated February 9, 1887], its president, J. P. Woodbury, asked my permission 

 to use the name for the lands which they were laying out, and which now 

 bear the name of Altadena. He said he liked the name very much and 

 thought it especially suited for their villa sites. I consented, as I had sold 

 my home place to which it was originally applied, and was willing that the 

 name should have a more extended use." 



The name Altadena has been borrowed and applied to a tract at Red- 

 lands. And Col. G. G. Green of Woodbury, New Jersey (owner of Hotel 

 Green, Pasadena), had a little daughter born at his elegant winter home in 

 our Altadena, May 15, 1888, and named her Altadena Green. 



LARGE LAND TRACTS BY NAME. 



Within Pasadenaland there are several large tracts of land bearing 

 some local designation, and with which, both as to name and land, there are 

 some interesting historic associations that call for record. 



The Grogan Tract. — Judge Eaton furnishes me the following ac- 

 count : 



"This tract was purchased by James Craig for Alexander B. Grogan, a 

 wealthy capitalist of San Francisco, about 1869, from Griffin and Wilson. 

 It contained 5,000 acres, and was bought for $30,000. No water right 

 went with this sale ; and as Mr. Craig wished to make a home for himself 

 on the tract, he entered into negotiations with B. S. Baton, then owner of 

 the " Fair Oaks " ranch and of three-fourths of the waters of Eaton canyon, 

 for a supply from that source, and at once commenced the improvement of 

 eighty acres — the place where he still resides. From that time onward 

 portions of the tract were occasionally acquired by residents of Pasadena, 

 until now [1894] nearly the whole 5,000 acres are under cultivation." 



Mr. Grogan was born in Ireland ; came to California in 1848 ; and died 

 in San Francisco September 19, 1886. 



The following article from the Valley Unioii of April 23, 1886, is of 

 historic interest : 



"The Painter & Ball Tract has been for five years past so import- 



