E. Waldo Ward Ranch (Birthday Month Adventure #1)

 

This 1902 barn is the most well-known view of the E. Waldo Ward Ranch, the first of my birthday month adventures. The tower is where they stored their weekly water delivery back then.

 

I hadn't seen photos of the house before. I don't know if you can tell from this photo but this house is BIG. It was built of redwood in 1903, and it's still occupied by the descendants of E. Waldo Ward.

Mr. Ward started his orange groves and perfected his marmalade recipes here at the ranch. His marmalade was THE thing on railroad dining cars for many years.

There's a gift shop, thank goodness. I'm happy to report that we came home with Pumpkin Butter and Old Fashioned Cucumber Slices.

You might think a short trip to Sierra Madre an odd way to start my month of birthday adventures, but I've wanted to see this place since I moved to Pasadena, so this week I did. My birthday adventures are all about doing what I want to do. Within reason.

E. Waldo Ward has regular hours when you can visit the store and wander the property. And on Saturdays they give free tours by appointment.

If you'd like to know more about the E. Waldo Ward Ranch, just go there! Or pick up Elizabeth Pomeroy's book Lost and Found at a local store or the Pasadena Museum of History gift shop. The ranch is on page 72.
 

Birthday Month

Margaret Finnegan had a great idea. During February, her birthday month, she would do 50 good deeds. Not only did she think it up, she followed through, posting her results on Facebook.

I'd like to imitate Margaret but I'm not as nice as she is, so I've come up with something else for my birthday month in March. I'm going to have a minimum of one adventure each week and I'll tell you about my adventures here. I'm allowed to do this instead of good deeds because I'm older than Margaret, and by god, some adventure is in order.

For my current purposes, an adventure is something I haven't done before or somewhere I haven't been before, preferably inexpensive or free and not too far away. I've got Elizabeth Pomeroy's wonderful Lost and Found as my guide, and I'd be glad to have your suggestions, too.

I'll try to do some good deeds while I'm at it.

Guest Author: Elizabeth Pomeroy

Before it became fashionable to self-publish, Elizabeth Pomeroy formed her own publishing company--not just to publish her own books but important historical titles as well. Writer, editor, publisher, educator--it's a wonder she finds time for it all. Please welcome today's guest author, Elizabeth Pomeroy.

Why I write: It was historic places that got me started writing about local history. I braked for historic markers and always wanted to know more. Also I volunteered for an architectural survey in Pasadena some years ago. Little details of houses and neighborhoods could be so revealing, as we uncovered layers of history. I began to develop an eye for "anything old" -- a certain roofline or the old stone walls; even a row of derelict orange trees left over from a vanished grove.
 
If time is the fourth dimension, then knowing the history of a place puts you into that four-dimensional reality  --  neat !

Lost and Found: For five years I wrote a weekly column on historic places called "Lost and Found." This ran in the Pasadena Star-News, San Gabriel Valley Tribune, and Whittier Daily News. My beat extended to 40 cities, the circulation areas of those papers. I looked for nooks and crannies of history, the overlooked and the obvious, including places we might pass every day.

Many Moons Press: Then I collected my favorites of these articles into a take-it-with-you guide published by my new small business, Many Moons Press. The book is Lost and Found, and it was followed by more articles in Lost and Found II. I said on the book jacket, "These are YOUR treasures, which history has saved for you in its vast Lost and Found Department."
 
Now Many Moons Press has published eight titles all about Southern California, including books on John Muir and the native plant expert Theodore Payne. Some of the books are new editions of wonderful titles long out of print. This series is called California Voices. Take a look at the website for information and reviews.

What next? Now I'm writing the Centennial History of the City of San Marino, which will be published by the San Marino Historical Society. It will be a beautiful illustrated book, with many photographs, historic and modern. It's due out in the fall of 2012, in time for the centennial year of 2013. So far it's a lively story of people and places.

Come and see:  I'll be at the Duarte Festival of Authors on Saturday October 8th with my books. Come and say hello; we'll talk history and share thoughts about books. I'd love to hear your comments on my work and to have your ideas about what Many Moons Press should publish in the future. We are looking for new projects.

Mantra: Thanks for listening, and here's my mantra for all book lovers and book people: "May the writers write and the readers read !"