Los Angeles herald., 1910-02-24
BIG AREA MAY
BE ANNEXED BY
LOS ANGELES
OUTLYING DISTRICTS SEEK
CONSOLIDATION
PROPOSED ARROYO sEco PARK
is INCLUDED
If Plan Submitted Carries Way viii
Be Paved to Acquisition
of AIhambra in the
Future

The long pending project of conserv-
ing the great Arroyo Seco natural park
for recreation purposes and of trans
forming it into the most beautiful link
in the chain of the many extensive
parks for which Los Angeles is IA
nous. yesterday assumed a more
promising aspect and, incidentally the
ever-expanding City of the Angels
took another important step toward
the acquisition of new and desirable
territory.
The speciali committee appointed by
citizens of North and West Highland
Park. Hermon, South Pasadena, AL
hambra. Belvidere and Rose Hill to
investigate the feasibility of annexing
a strip of territory to the north and
west of Highland Park and GarVanza
for the purpose of embracing Bairds-
town, Belvldere, Rose Hill, Hermon
and several interlying districts in the
Los Angeles city limits and to extend
those limits TO South Pasadena and
Alhambra SO that, if desirable, the lat
ter cities may be annexed to Los An
geles at a later date, yesterday ap-
peared before the newly elected board
of directors of the Los Angeles cham
ber of commerce and requested their
Endorsement of the project.
Park Commissioner c. H. Randall of
Highland Park aided the committee in
its work.
]. g. Baird of Hernon, chairman of
the committee; Alfred w. Allen Of
Rose Hill, secretary; DR.. II. G. Horton
and J. Stewart Ross of West High
land Park, Prof L. A. Handley of
North Highland Park, A. E. Nichols
of Bairdstown and H. l.. Hopkins or
Belvidere have promoted the plans for
a special election to be held before
April Is. if possible, to enable the pop
n he inHlI16pH in
the next census. They have invesu-
gated carefully and urge that the
project be carried.
Aside from the Importance of the
plan to annex the Highland Park and
Hermon territory the project paves the
way to the future annexation OF AL
harnbra. which is declared by the COM
mittee to be ultimately desired by AL
hambra's citizens. The people of AL
hambra have been working diligently
to launch the present annexation
scheme, because its success means that
the city limits of Los Angeles will eX-
tend to West Alhambra, making the
two cities contiguous and later per
hitting the annexation of Alhambra
If decided upon.
In the strip of territory involved in
the present project there is popula-
tion of about 15 900 or 5000 people.
The population of Belvidere alone is
given at 10000, and scattered through
out the rest of the area, including sew
eral small settlements like Hermon
and Rose Hill, there is population Of
at least 5000.
Arroyo Outside City
The law passed by the last Califor-
MIA legislature provides that a city
may condemn tract of land for park
purposes if the land is, of course, in
side the city limits. This law was
urged by citizens of Los Angeles lob
bying at Sacramento for the purpose
of acquiring the Arroyo Seco region,
extending from Sycamore Grove to a
point about opposite Pollard street,
which is the northeastern city limits
but after the adoption of the law it
was learned that the most desirable
portion of the Arroyo Seco lies outside
the city limits, so only by annexing
this area can the city hope to acquire
it for a park.
The strip which 1t is proposed to an
about Avenue Fifty and includes
North Highland Park, the line extend
ing northeasterly by a point about op-
posite Meridian street, GarvanZa, to
the South Pasadena city limits, thence
to and including Mineral Park and the
Arroyo Seco. westerly to and including
Hermon.
The proposed outer line of annexa-
tion extends also from point near the
Cawston ostrich farm along the South
Pasadena city limits and along the
West Alhambra city limits to the juno