Sierra Madre Memorial Park

Sierra Madre Memorial Park

1905 World War I Krupp Cannon
Type City Municipal Park
Location Sierra Madre, California
Coordinates 34°09′42″N 118°03′25″W / 34.161717°N 118.05695°W / 34.161717; -118.05695Coordinates: 34°09′42″N 118°03′25″W / 34.161717°N 118.05695°W / 34.161717; -118.05695
Created 1924
Operated by City of Sierra Madre Parks and Recreation Department

Sierra Madre Memorial Park is a historic landmark park in Sierra Madre, California. The public park is dedicated to Sierra Madre residences that have served in the U.S. Armed forces. The park has monuments, a band shell, tennis court, playground, covered picnic area and a historic house, called the park house, that is a historic landmark. The park is on Sierra Madre Boulevard and Hermosa, next to City Hall.[1]

Park House

The Park House built in 1884, was once the winery of Professor John Jacob Hart, one of the city's founding fathers.[2] In about 1884 Mr. Hart moved his family, (Wife Emma Corlett), from Cleveland to Sierra Madre and purchased 40 acres of land. His main instruments were the violin and piano, teaching both into his 70s. Professor Hart added to his income as a music teacher, by growing and selling his high quality "Monte Vina" wines, his winery was on his property, which ranged from Sierra Madre Boulevard on the north to Orange Grove on the south, the park house on his the property was just south of Sierra Madre blvd. In 1980 the house was dedicated as the Senior Citizens’ Center Memorial Park House.[3] It was of adobe construction. After many renovations the house has few of its original construction, but the original grand fireplace remains. The house is site #42 on Sierra Madre historic landmark list. There are 50 properties listed on Sierra Madre's Designated Historical Properties List.[4][5] Hart help establish the city's first public library,[6] he also helped bring the Pacific Electric street car to town in 1905 on the Sierra Madre line, it ran each day till service ended in 1950.[7] At the start of housing subdivision construction south of Central Avenue, now called Sierra Madre Boulevard, Hart insisted on some of the streets having Spanish names. These included Mariposa, Ramona, Manzanita and Esperanza avenues.[8] The park house is used by the Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 3208 of Sierra Madre once a month.

Monuments

Events

Events are held throughout the year: Sierra Madre's Wistaria Festival and Arts & Crafts Fair, summer Concerts in the Park, Movies in the Park, Firefighter's Easter Egg Hunt, 4 July Festivities, Friends of the Library Art Fair, City Halloween costume judging, Pioneer Days Historic Photo Exhibit, American Cancer Society Relay for Life, Blood Drives and more.

After World War I, Sierra Madre held parades on Memorial Day, Veterans Day and Independence Day. Veterans, Scouts and City officials would march from Sierra Madre Memorial Park to Sierra Madre Pioneer Cemetery. While the Memorial Day and Veterans Day Parades have ended. The Independence Day Parade continues each year.[18] A Memorial Day service is held in Sierra Madre Pioneer Cemetery at 11am each year, hosted by the VFW and Troop 373 of Sierra Madre Congregational Church.[19]

Each Memorial Day since 1924 Sierra Madre VFW Post 3208 with Boy Scouts of America Troop 373 of Sierra Madre places flags and crosses at the graves of military veterans.[20] Veterans of the American Civil War, both Union and Confederate, Spanish–American War, World War I and World War II and the Korean War are buried at Sierra Madre Pioneer Cemetery.[21][22]

See also

References

  1. cityofsierramadre.com, Sierra Madre Memorial Park
  2. patch.com, The Music Man Behind Sierra Madre's Fine Winery, Now Memorial Park, In honor of the Sierra Madre Wine & Jazz Walk, we take a look back at one of the city's founding luminaries, John Jacob Hart. By Matt Hormann, September 23, 2011
  3. cityofsierramadre.com, Senior Services
  4. City of Sierra Madre Historic landmark list
  5. cityofsierramadre.com, Park House
  6. wikipedia.org, Original Sierra Madre City Library page
  7. Electric Railway Historical Association, Sierra Madre line
  8. sierramadreweekly.com, Hart Park House Hits Speed Bump on Road to Renovation July 29th, 2009, by Morgan Carpenter
  9. sierramadrenews.net, Cannon Installed In Time for Fourth of July Festivities, Monday, July 3, 2006
  10. tangentialmeanderings.wordpress.com, War Memorial, February 2, 2012
  11. waymarking.com, World War I Cannon, Sierra Madre, Ca
  12. seeingsierramadre.com, Weeping Wall Veterans Memorial, Saturday, September 15, 2012
  13. sierramadrenews.net, Weeping Wall Memorial Dedication -- April, 1999, Designer - Lew Watanabe
  14. iknifecollector.com, Photos of park, by Ron Cooper, Nov 20, 2012
  15. sierramadrenews.net, Veteran's Wall Dedication, Saturday, Oct. 11, 2003
  16. waymarking.com, The Unknown Boy Scout - Sierra Madre, CA
  17. Troop 373, Unknown Scout Ceremony
  18. 4th of July
  19. The Patch.com Memorial Day Ceremony at Pioneer Cemetery, By Cassandra Morris
  20. Troop 373 MEMORIAL WEEKEND project
  21. sierramadreweekly.com Sierra Madre honors fallen soldiers with observance ceremony, May 29th, 2012 by Sierra Madre Weekly
  22. sierramadrenews.net VFW Post 3208 Hosts Memorial Day Service at Pioneer Cemetery, Monday, May 31, 2010
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