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2007: A Banner Year for the Archives

By Debbie Henderson

The City of Sierra Madre is sporting a new look in 2007. Banners featuring historical images display a festive spirit during the Centennial year of the incorporation of Sierra Madre. It is widely known that Sierra Madre is proud of its history. After all, we have long running mountain trail race, a world record flowering vine, a famous search and rescue team, and sites around town frequently show up as Hollywood’s backdrop.

Important anniversaries prompt us to do some thinking. A hallmark year gives us cause to reflect about our community. In fact, it was an anniversary that initiated the formation of the Sierra Madre Historical Society. A group of concerned citizens realized that the 50th anniversary of the town’s founding was upon them and there was little in the way of a historical collection to show for it. The Sierra Madre Historical Society organized on April 21, 1931, and immediately set to work collecting photographs and documents relating to Sierra Madre history. It is because of their foresight that we have materials in the archives to reference. The historical materials show us what things cost, where things were located, and how things looked in Sierra Madre 100 years ago.

Since 1999 the Sierra Madre Public Library and the Sierra Madre Historical Preservation Society have partnered to collect, preserve, and provide access to the local history collection.

The coming of the city’s centennial of incorporation once again motivated the society to embark upon a significant project. The group had often had requests from residents and past residents for a new history book that would bring the Sierra Madre story up to date (as the last publication was released in 1976). Planning for a new definitive history of Sierra Madre began in the summer of 2002 and the book is now well under way. Publication is much anticipated and expected later this year. Due to the availability of primary resources (original documents and photographs) in the archives, author Michele Zack has a treasure trove to research.

In this centennial year of 2007, business in the archives is brisk. Local history is hot and we are enjoying the spotlight. Technology makes it possible to capture, enhance, enlarge, and distribute our community’s history. It all seems easy and instant but gathering and saving history is a difficult, lengthy, not to mention costly, process. Nevertheless, it is a worthy investment as we are preserving history for generations. All Sierra Madre historical materials in the archives have been delicately handled, meticulously described, and carefully stored and arranged in protective enclosures. Access to our history is readily available as library staff have scanned several images and rendered them accessible through the web via the library online catalog. Library staff also work hard to create meaningful historical exhibits both online and in the display case on site. During the course of this celebratory year, by all means revel in our city’s 100-year history, but also consider the care that has gone into collecting, describing, and preserving the photographs highlighted on the banners that tell us an eyeful about Sierra Madre.

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