438 HISTORY OF PASADKNA. 



finally sold to the Pasadena and lyos Angeles Electric Railway Company in 

 1894.* 



WEST PASADENA RAILWAY COMPANY. 



This was a horse car line which extended from Fair Oaks Avenue west 

 on Colorado street to Vernon Avenue, thence north to Kensington Place, 

 thence west to Millard Avenue, thence north to Walnut street, thence west 

 to North Orange Grove Avenue, thence on Reservoir Terrace Drive around 

 to head of Park Avenue, thence down the Park Avenue grade to the Linda 

 Vista suspension bridge, thence across the Arroyo and following the same 

 avenue to Linda Vista. The road was built by the Yocums themselves, in 

 1887 ; but as other interests became involved with it the company was in- 

 corporated January 14, 1888. This railroad was one of the great "boom" 

 enterprises, and was so intimately connected with the Linda Vista and Park 

 Place land schemes of that time, that it is necessary to give some brief 

 account of them, in order to explain how and why such a completely wiped- 

 out railroad was ever built at all. 



In October, 1886, J. D. Yocum subdivided his Linda Vista tract and 

 sold the south half of it, about 600 acres, to a syndicate for $40,000. They 

 went on improving and subdividing their land, but soon found almost im- 

 perative necessity for some better way of reaching it than by the old hilly 

 and stony wagon road across the Arroyo wash. Next, in November a 

 syndicate composed of H. W. Ogden, I. N. Mundell, Thomas F. Flynn, 

 and N. G. Yocum bought fifty-two acres of land on the reservoir terrace, 

 named it "Park Place," and went on laying out streets and drives, with 

 sightly residence lots for sale. And of this deal the Union of November 

 27, 1886, said : 



"It means improvements that will add greatly to the attractions of that 

 part of the city. * * The street car line projected by the Messrs. Yocum 

 and others to run to Linda Vista will pass through this tract, crossing the 

 Arroyo near where the barn now stands. ' ' 



This company, with Mundell as president and Flynn as secretary, 

 opened business for sale of their lots January ist, 1887, and advertised that 

 this street car line was then being built. To make the Park Avenue grade 

 down the bluff was a protracted and costly job for private enterprise ; and 

 the combined wood and iron suspension bridge at its foot cost $8,ooo.t But 

 it was all done and the railroad built in connection with the speculative 

 "booming" of the Park Place lands and the Linda Vista lands. The 



*After the above article was written. I received the following additional data from J. B. Young : 

 " The old Highland Railroad Company was organized March 5, i888, with a capital stock of |ioo,ooo. In- 

 corporators : George A. Swartwout. J. B. Young, C. C. Thompson, F. T. Swartwout and N. L. Young, 

 George A. Swartwout, president ; J. B. Young, secretary ; Thompson, vice-president and general super- 

 intendent ; Pasadena National Bank, treasurer. This old company was abandoned ; and a new High- 

 land Railroad Company organized October 21, 1889. On March 18, 1890, all property and franchises of the 

 company were sold to the Pasadena National Bank in settlement of all outstanding obligations of the 

 company." 



t This is a Pratt truss bridge of two spans, 120 feet each, and one span 140 feet — total, 380 feet; 

 roadway 18 feet wide, and 80 feet above the water bed. 



