The city of La Canada Flintridge is primarily a residential community that is located at the eastern end of the Crescenta Valley that is within the San Gabriel Valley. Canada comes from the Spanish word meaning gorge or ravine. Although it isn’t within a deep canyon like the Spanish word it was named after, it is a small valley nestled between the San Gabriel mountains and San Rafael Hills, which geographically keeps the town isolated from Los Angeles county, which it is a part of.
EARLY HISTORY
The first inhabitants to occupy the areas covering what is today known as the Crescenta-Canada Valley were the Tongva Indians. It was the later years of the 18th century when missionaries were sent from Spain to convert the native occupants throughout California to Catholicism. The natives who did not go to the California missions to live and work were either collected by soldiers, fled to the hills and canyons, or gave way to diseases that were brought by the new settlers.
It was Don Jose Maria Verdugo who first claimed ownership over the area, which was granted to him after asking the governor of California for a piece of land for him to retire at and to raise cattle after having served the King of Spain. Ignacio Coronel, who was granted a portion of the Verdugo family’s land in 1843, named La Canada, meaning “a glen between the mountains”. The section of Verdugo’s land that Coronel was granted extended from Tujunga all the way across from the northern tip of Glendale to the Arroyo Seco and it was this entire area that made up what was Rancho La Canada. It was in 1871 that the first U.S. citizen, by the name of Colonel Theodore Pickens, moved into the Crescenta-Canada Valley area, who built a small residence at what is now known as Pickens Canyon, an area that lies along the La Crescenta-La Canada city border line. He built a small, humble residence up against the foothills close to one of the valley’s only water sources.
PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT
The three key players in the planning and development of what was Rancho La Canada were Dr. Benjamin Briggs, Dr. Jacob Lanterman, and Frank P. Flint.
Suffering from tuberculosis, a man by the name of Colonel Adolphus Williams moved to California as a healthseeker from Lansing, Michigan in 1874 for its warm, dry climate. He settled in at one of the many health resorts that were open at the time in La Canada. As word of the area’s healthful air quality began to spread, the valley became a tourist attraction. Hotels and sanitariums sprang up. At one time there were as many as 25 health sanitariums in operation. Williams, almost immediately recovering from his tuberculosis, wrote to a friend from his hometown in Michigan, Dr. Jacob Lanterman, who was suffering from bronchitis, and strongly urged him to move to California, insisting that it’s climate will cure any illness. Lanterman made the trip, joing up with Williams at the Dunks Hotel, which was located roughly where today Green intersects with Angeles Crest Highway.
Because both Williams and Lanterman praised the valley’s air quality they made the decision to collectively purchase what was the entire Rancho La Canada land Grant from the Verdugo family for $10,000, which was a low price even for that time. Water was hard to co
me by in the valley which made the land in the area unappealing for settlers and developers.
Upon purchasing the 5830 acres of land, Lanterman and Williams immediately took up a search for a water source in the area, which was not an easy task. Gravity water and run off was all there was to suffice. It wasn’t until Frank P. Flint, one of La Canada’s other developers, came into the area that this problem became solved.
In the process of subdividing off the land for resale, Lanterman and Williams began to develop the main road that ran across La Canada, naming it Michigan Avenue after their hometown state, which in later years was renamed Foothill Boulevard. Michigan Ave was initially a dirt road that ran along the foothills of the land grant and was hard to travel across because of the ditches and ravines in the valley that it dipped up and down into. Eventually over the years these ditches and ravines were filled in, and Michigan Avenue became a well traveled road.
In working at subdividing and selling off parcels of Rancho La Canada, Lanterman and Williams fell into a law suit with eachother, with Lanterman accusing Williams of falsely surveying and dividing the parcels. During this time Benjamin Briggs, an accomplished man who originally moved west from the east coast for the gold rush, purchased the western half of Rancho La Canada from Lanterman and Williams.
Briggs had arrived to the West Coast in his early 20’s in 1881 with his two brothers, and eventually settled into Rancho La Canada after he and his brothers had succeeded in pioneering California’s fruit growing industry. Briggs felt that the Crescenta-Canada valley offered the best climate in terms of aiding ones health, which he felt to be important in a time that he was morning the death of his young bride, Abby Briggs, who had died of tuberculosis.
After purchasing his portion of land from Lanterman and Williams, he began surveying and subdividing 10 acre lots to be sold as ranches, which included what eventually became Montrose as well as the land that he named La Crescenta, named after the crescent shapes that the mountains formed along the foothills. Briggs built his home near where Theodore Pickens had lived, in Pickens Canyon. It was the road that led up to his home that eventually became named Briggs Avenue, a road that exists today running north and south, close to the La Canada, La Crescenta border.
Briggs is remembered for having started the first school in the valley, as well as forming the first church, which he initially started in his own home, the first public park, and the first full-time medical practice in the area.
La Canada Flintridge is named in part after Frank P. Flint due to his part in being one of the main players in the development of La Canada. As Senator of California, Flint played a great part in making the Mission style the official architecture of government buildings in Southern California and played a major political role in bringing Owens Valley water to metropolitan Los Angeles. In addition to his title as a United States Senator, Flint was also a judge, a banker, a deputy Marshall, a lawyer, and a real estate developer.
After many political endeavors, in 1912 Frank Flint gained an interest in developing a wealthy suburb adjacent to Pasadena, which at that point had been already fully developed for some time and was one of the wealthiest addresses in the nation. He purchased 1700 acres of Rancho La Canada that lied south of Michigan Ave (now Foothill) and named it Flintridge.
Along with the Flintridge Equestrian Center and the Flintridge Country Club, Frank Flint built the Flintridge Hotel at the top of the southern end of the San Rafael mountains, all within his 1700 acres of land. Designed by the renowned architect, Myron Hunt, the hotel opened in 1927 but because it was remotley located and the rooms were expensive the hotel failed and was forced to sell it to the Biltmore Hotel chain, who not long after sold it to the Catholic church. Shortly after the onset of the great depression it was founded by Dominican Sisters and since 1931 it has been an all girls Catholic high school, Flintridge Sacred Heart Academy.
Even though the 210 freeway, which was built in the 1970’s, cut through what was the Golf Course that Flint had built, the Flintridge Country Club became what was St. Franics, and his hotel became Flintridge Sacred Heart Academy, Frank Flint’s name is still reflected in the name of La Canada-Flintridge, as well as the cities clubs, schools, and businesses.
POST WWII
It was after the second World War when most of our country was settling and starting families after the war that La Canada changed from a ranching community to the residential family community that it is today. In 1950 Frank Lanterman, as resident of La Canada and relative to one of La Canada’s founding member, was elected to the California State Assembly and succeeded in gaining Colorado River water for La Canada in 1955. This was a pivotal event in La Canada, allowing further development of residential communities in the town. Many post war defense industry workers saw La Canada as an appealing place to settle, increasing the demand to built in the valley and with a new water source the area began to boom.
Many of the homes in La Canada that exist today are mid-century California Ranch style homes that were built during this time, and serve as homes for families to raise new generations of La Canada residents with the interest to have their children attend the cities blue ribbon schools.
LA CANADA FLINTRIDGE TODAY
In 2003 La Canada property values rose by 23.4%, an astronomical increase that placed the city at the top of the charts for the entire nation. Although now, five years later, the market has shifted, the community of La Canada, as well as many surrounding areas, have held its own in comparison to the nationwide drop in house prices. La Canada has not dropped anywhere near a number that would compensate for the rise in property values that have occurred like that 23.4% increase in 2003. Profiled as having one of the lowest crime rates in the country has been one of the contributing factors for the desirability to live in La Canada.
THE SCHOOLS
LA CANADA ELEMENTARY: The staff of La Cañada Elementary School is dedicated to the mission of providing a rich educational environment which challenges all students to think critically, solve complex problems, express themselves articulately, in speaking and writing, and work cooperatively and individually in a diverse and multicultural world.
4540 Encinas, La Cañada, CA 91011 818-952-8350(phone) 818-952-8355(Fax)
PALM CREST ELEMENTARY: Located at the north end of Palm Drive, Palm Crest Elementary is La Canada’s most west lying school.
5025 Palm Drive, La Canada, CA 91011 (818)952-8360
Mission Statement
Paradise Canyon Elementary is located in the northeastern foothills of La Canada Flintridge. It is a K-6 school with a 2006-2007 enrollment of 665. The staff, students, and parents of Paradise Canyon Elementary School are committed to working together to ensure that each student reaches his or her intellectual, social, ethical, emotional, and physical potential.
471 Knight Way, La Canada Flintridge, CA 91011 818-952-8340(phone) 818-952-8337(fax)
Mission Statement
To nurture a Catholic learning community committed to faith development and academic excellence which inspires all members to respond generously to the call of the Old Testament to “Act justly, love tenderly and walk humbly with our God” (Micah 8)
Philosophy
As a Catholic school, St Bede’s shares a faith which shapes their vision of education in the modern world. This vision is focused first of all on the individuals they teach.
4524 Crown Avenue, La Canada Flintridge, CA 91011 818-790-7884(phone) 818-790-0699(fax)
Mission Statement
It is the mission of La Canada High School, through the coordinated efforts of its faculty, staff, and community, to provide programs so that, upon graduation, all students will be inspired and able to use their developed skills to become leaders in service to society.
Curriculum/Instruction/Assessment
Provide the cohesive and rigorous curriculum, instruction and assessment that enable students to communicate clearly and effectively, to access and apply information, to practice problem solving and inquiry both individually and collaboratively, to think critically, to demonstrate creativity, to become productive citizens, to utilize technology and to become lifelong learners.
4463 Oak Grove Drive, La Cañada Flintridge, California
818-952-4200(phone) 818-952-4214(fax) lchs@lcusd.net
Mission Statement
St. Francis High School is a Catholic, college preparatory school for boys in grades 9-12. Since its founding by the Capuchin Franciscan Friars in 1946, it has been committed to enriching the mind and heart, strengthening respect through service and humility, creating a family environment, and envisioning men of hope and peace. It offers a challenging curriculum and many opportunities for extracurricular involvement. St Francis is fully accredited by WASC and the WCEA.
Accreditation & Governance
St. Francis High School endeavors to develop in its students moral and spiritual maturity, intellectual growth, responsible citizenship, social awareness, physical well-being, and an understanding of the alternatives in their vocational and educational futures. Specifically, the school attempts to develop the intellectual growth of each student by:
- Instructing him to utilize different cognitive processes, reasoning and thinking exercises;
- Acquainting him with the basic structure of the English language so that he can manipulate those elements with ease in oral and written communications;
- Developing his capacity for understanding mathematical and scientific concepts;
- Introducing him to a knowledge of human history from ancient to modern times;
- Exposing him to the knowledge and thought patterns of foreign languages;
- Providing a well-equipped library learning center and a program of library orientation; and
- Giving recognition to his intellectual achievements through membership in the National Honor Society, California Scholarship Federation, and through participation in the annual Scholastic Awards Night.
Tuition
The tuition and fees structure at St. Francis is among the lowest of the private schools in our area.
2008-2009 Fees:
TUITION: $10,324
REGISTRATION: $650 plus books, and some class and athletic fees dependent upon what classes they take.
200 N. Foothill Blvd, La Canada Flintridge, Ca 91011 818-790-0325(phone) 818-790-5542(fax)
FLINTRIDGE SACRED HEART ACADEMY:
Mission Statement
Flintridge Sacred Heart Academy's mission is to educate young women in a holistic college preparatory program, where their unique gifts are viewed as essential for our world, where they are nurtured by a vibrant community of faith and where truth and love are the highest values.
Accreditation & Governance
FSHA is accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC), the California Association of Independent Schools (CAIS) and the Western Catholic Education Association (WCEA), and is a member of the National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS) and the National Catholic Education Association (NCEA).
Flintridge Sacred Heart Academy is a California, 501( c )3, non-profit corporation governed by a 15-person lay and religious Board of Directors.
Student Body
- 404 students are enrolled for the 2008-09 school year
- Approximately 13% are boarding students and 87% are day students
- Minorities represent over 40% of the student body
- Boarding students come from throughout the United States, China, Taiwan, Japan, Korea, Macau, Thailand, Singapore, Mexico, Hong Kong, Qatar and the Philippines.
- Day students come from 32 local communities, including Pasadena, Glendale, Altadena, La Canada, Los Angeles, Sierra Madre, La Crescenta, San Marino, Arcadia, San Gabriel, South Pasadena, Monrovia, Alhambra, Sylmar, Burbank, Duarte, El Monte, Shadow Hills, Rancho Palos Verdes, Sun Valley, Temple City, Tujunga, and from Azusa, Bradbury, Granada Hills, Montrose, Newhall, North Hollywood, Studio City, Sunland, West Covina and Whittier.
Tuition and General Fee
- Day Student Tuition: $17,950
- Boarding Student Tuition and Room and Board: $39,275
Additional fees, including those for books, uniforms, and special programs may apply.
Financial Aid
Approximately 24% of the student body receives some form of scholarship or financial aid.
College Attendance and Scholarship Awards
With rare exception, all graduates continue their education to the college level. Of the 114 graduates in the class of 2008, 16 attend a four-year Catholic college; 88 attend four-year college and 10 attend junior college. College choices for the class of 2008 range from USC, Seattle Pacific University, UC Davis, Claremont McKenna, Macalester, University of Florida, Pitzer, Regis, Loyola Marymount University, University of Texas, UCLA, University of Colorado at Boulder, University of Missouri, Boston College, Baylor University, University of Arizona, Humboldt, Whitman, Westmont, Ithaca, NYU, Berkeley, and Pasadena City College, just to name a few!
Many graduates receive acceptance into multiple colleges and universities, allowing them to have a selection of institutions to choose from . Many students are also awarded substantial scholarships ranging from $2000 to $40,000 per year from the educational institutions to which they are accepted.
440 Saint Katherine Drive, La Canada Flintridge, CA 91011 626-685-8500(phone)
http://www.fsha.org/
Mission Statement
We at Flintridge Prep believe that the teenage years are an end in themselves, not simply a time to build a transcript for a college admissions office. During these years the brain develops analytically, creatively, and emotionally. Skills and knowledge are acquired that allow students to pursue learning joyfully throughout their life.
Beyond the classroom, these are the years when students develop a sense of themselves and a sense of community. They sample the buffet of life opportunities in athletics, the arts, hobbies, and experiences to discover their passions, and they interact closely with teachers and friends to experience the deep connection among human beings. Individual achievement is balanced with group success, giving with getting, the intellectual life with human development. This is the age to learn what matters in the quest for the good life.
Academics
Flintridge is committed to the fulfillment of the school’s mission as both a platform for college academic preparation and as an environment for intellectual and emotional growth. It is our goal as a college preparatory school to provide for each student, in every discipline, the tools and interests required to excel in college and in life. Flintridge is a community built around and dedicated to the idea of a lifetime of learning.
4543 Crown Avenue, La Canada Flintridge, CA 91011 818-790-1178(phone)
POINTS OF INTEREST
Descanso Gardens located in La Cañada Flintridge, California is a 25 acre camellia forest.
At one time the property of the newspaper magnate E. Manchester Boddy (who owned the Los Angeles Daily News), ran a commercial camellia garden at this location until he ceded the site to Los Angeles County in 1953.
Walkway in Descanso Gardens
The county has further developed the property to include a world-class rosarium, as well as a Japanese tea house, lilac garden, bird sanctuary, xeriscape, and of course a gift shop. They also regularly host professional camellia shows, chamber music, and weddings. They are busiest however on the Easter weekend, when the tulips are in bloom and eggs are hidden on the central lawn of one acre.
The Boddy House is the original 22-room house built by E. Manchester Boddy, which was sold along with the estate to Los Angeles County in 1953. The house was designed by James E. Dolena in the Hollywood Regency style in 1937.
In 2007, The Boddy House was rehabilitated for the 43rd annual Pasadena Showcase House of Design, and decorated in a contemporary re-interpretation of its original Hollywood Regency style. Subsequently, a major grant from the Ahmanson Foundation enabled the addition of a museum-quality Heritage Exhibit, with exhibits about the gardens, Manchester Boddy's life and times, and important donors and volunteers for the Descanso Gardens. [1]
The house is open for docent-led tours on Saturdays and Sundays at noon. The house is also available for rental.
Open daily 9am-5pm daily except Christmas Day
1418 Descanso Drive, La Canada Flintridge, CA 91011 818-949-4200
http://www.descansogardens.org
JET PROPULSION LABORATORY:
Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) is a Federally funded research and development center, and a NASA field center located in the Arroyo Seco, a dry wash at the base of the San Gabriel Mountains straddling the city boundaries of La Cañada Flintridge, and Pasadena, CA, near Los Angeles, California, USA. JPL is managed by the California Institute of Technology (Caltech) for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. The Laboratory's primary function is the construction and operation of robotic planetary spacecraft, though it also conducts Earth-orbit and astronomy missions. It is also responsible for operating NASA's Deep Space Network. Among its current projects are the Cassini-Huygens mission to Saturn, the Mars Exploration Rovers (Spirit and Opportunity), the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter.
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