Images of America:

La Crescenta

by

Mike Lawler and Robert Newcombe

Though it has specific geographic borders, La Crescenta is politically split, straddling portions of unincorporated Los Angeles County, Glendale, and even a portion of Los Angeles itself.  The Tongva Indians roamed the valley for hundreds of years until cattlemen moved in and loggers harvested the tall trees in the canyons above.  Then came orchards, sanitariums, resort hotels, and, ultimately, suburban sprawl.  These bucolic hills belied a penchant for archly conservative politics, but the peace of the valley was shattered not by Nazis or Klansmen, but rather by forces of nature: windstorms, fires, earthquakes, and, most severely, flash floods.  In his book The Control of Nature, naturalist John McPhee wrote extensively about the La Crescenta floods.  Despite the turbulence, La Crescenta has evolved into a quiet bedroom community in the foothills of the San Gabriel Mountains.  Images of America: La Crescenta tells the story of this evolution.

Mike Lawler is the president of the Historical Society of the Crescenta Valley.  Robert Newcombe is a writer who lives in the first house built on the hills east of Montrose, overlooking the Crescenta Valley.  Together they have gathered more than 200 vintage photographs and maps from their collections and those of the society and the Glendale Public Library to produce this evocative volume.  Profits go to the Historical Society of the Crescenta Valley.

To see a short animated tour of the book and quick history of La Crescenta:

Click here if you have a broadband connection (DSL, cable modem, etc.).

Click here if you have a telephone modem connection.

Scheduled Events: Sunday, March 26, 2:00 PM Short Presentation and Book Signing Once Upon A Time Bookstore 2284 Honolulu Avenue Montrose CA 9102 (818) 248-9668 Saturday, April 8, 2:00 PM Short Presentation and Book Signing La Crescenta Library 4521 La Crescenta Avenue La Crescenta, CA 91214 Monday, April 17, 7:00 PM Hour Presentation and Book Signing Historical Society of Crescenta Valley La Crescenta Church of Religious Science Intersection of Santa Carlotta and Dunsmore La Crescenta Saturday, April 22, 2:00 PM Hour Presentation and Book Signing La Cañada Library 4545 N. Oakwood Avenue La Cañada Flintridge, CA 91011 Phone: (818) 790-3330 Wednesday, May 17, 7:00PM Hour Presentation and Book Signing Glendale Central Library 222 E. Harvard St. Glendale, CA 91205 (818) 548-2030 Mike and Robert are available for presentations and book signings. The hour presentation covers the history of the Crescenta Valley and projects about 80 slides from the book. The short presentation, intended for small spaces, is about 20 minutes and we hold up photo prints from the book. For more information, contact Mike Lawler via e-mail or at 818-957-2968

Where to buy Images of America: La Crescenta Local Stores: Once Upon A Time Bookstore La Cañada Books and Toys Vroman's Bookstore Montrose Harvest Market (Sunday, April 2) Online: If you would like to order directly from the Historical Society, send an e-mail to: r_newcombe@yahoo.com If you would like to sell this book, please contact Arcadia at: TOLL FREE: 888 313 2665 EST 8.00-17.30 Mon-Fri, via e-mail, or visit their web site. T-Shirts: We made two (and only two) of these for us to wear at book signings, but so many people asked about buying them that we're making the t-shirts available to everyone. You can buy them online at: www.zazzle.com/rnewcombe  (Click the icon that says "apparel" - not the note cards.  Unless you want to buy note cards, of course.)