Rebirth. Refuge. Independence. They are themes that run through the veins of Altadena’s history.
Civil War veterans suffering maladies from battle settled here. There were the developers who envisioned a robust suburb north of Pasadena. The ranchers came. So did business types.
By the early 20th century, an eclectic mix of blue-collar workers and millionaires grew, joined by writers, artists and bohemians in this area against the foothills, between the Arroyo Seco and Eaton Canyon.
By the 1960s and 70s, Black people had found a rare haven in Altadena, 17 miles north of Downtown L.A., a rustic foothill oasis in a desert of redlining and racism of the era.
All this in a town that treasured its independence, and its distance from the seat of county government.
Fast forward to now, the aftermath of a catastrophic January day in 2025, when extreme wind fueled the hellish Eaton fire that destroyed thousands of homes, killed at least 17 people, and leveled scores of local landmarks, schools, churches and businesses.
