(Please note: The Echo usually coverssubjects focused on the historical Altadenaarea. However, this issue covers a topicwhich had impact both on and over theentire State of California and we've chosento take a wider view.)Suffrage for women in most of the UnitedStates emerged from a long and often bitterbattle. The story of how California womenwere among the earliest to secure votingrights is complex and fascinating.

“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that All men are createdequal..."These famously inspiring words were usedby some anti-suffragists to justify denial ofwomen’s votes. Others raised as manyobjections as their personal agendas couldcreate.The Los Angeles Times was vehementlyagainst the issue, publishing suchcomments as: "We mean, in every lawful andlegitimate way, to oppose the adoption of theconstitutional amendment giving women theright to vote.... We are not fighting women. Weare fighting for women, fighting lest the efforts

of an over-enthusiasticminority shouldsucceed in imposinguseless burdens uponthe women of ourState.”The Times also

printed this...“Thousands of women all overthe State of California are praying today thatthe men who love and cherish them will notforce them into the field of politics--a realm asunsuited to the nature of the normal woman asthat of plowing the fields, shouldering the

Coming Soon100 Years of Lights:The Story ofChristmas Tree Lane

—See page 11

How California’s Women Won the Vote

1911 women’s suffrage poster

continued on page 4

Volume 93 Number 2

The EchoWhere the Past is Present Fall/Winter 2020

Much has happenedsince the last issueof The Echo! Soon

after it was published, weclosed our archives to thepublic because of thecoronavirus pandemic. Wehave been able, however, tocontinue to respond toresearch requests and otherinquiries.

In April, with the fullimpact of the coronaviruspandemic becomingapparent, the Boarddecided to automaticallyrenew all memberships forthis year and ask fordonations from thosemembers who could affordto contribute. We alsodecided to reduce expensesin key areas, such asmaking this edition of The

Echo online only, avoidingthe costs of printing andmailing.

We are grateful for theexceptional level of givingover the summer. Your giftshave allowed us to focus ontwo initiatives during thelast five months:

First, expanding ourarchives and our outreachto include the neglectedaspects of our community’shistory, has become a toppriority. Read the article onthe next page for moreabout the stories we plan tocollect and publicize.

Secondly, we know ourpresence online needs to beincreased and amplified.With the help of theAltadena Library we hostedour first online QuarterlyPresentation in August, andour website is being rebuiltin WordPress. We’reexcited about theopportunity to bring youmore virtual programmingand web-based informationin the future.

In addition, national,state, and county levelelections (plus the AltadenaLibrary’s Measure Z) areupon us, and our votingday is almost here. Onecontest that may haveslipped under your radar,however, is the AltadenaTown Council election.Our Town Council hasbeen around for 45 years,

President’s Letter by Eric Mulfinger

and its 16 membersrepresent the eight censustracts in ourunincorporatedcommunity.

Without a citygovernment, it is the mostdirect vehicle forAltadenans to express theirviews and preferences tothe County Board ofSupervisors. Voting for theTown Council will occuron Tuesday November 3and Saturday November 7.To find your polling place,your census tract, andinformation about thecandidates, visit theAltadena Town Councilwebsite athttp://altadenaelection.org/

Thank you all for yourcontinued support andinterest!

Board of DirectorsEric Mulfinger, PresidentJane Brackman, VP, MembershipJim Benson, TreasurerMarlane Forsberg, SecretaryMinna AdamsTim GregoryKathy HoskinsVeronica JonesDr. Sandra ThomasDaria Topousis

VolunteersRuth DawsonRod HolcombLaurie KinsingerMary LandauJoe PariseJean PhilipsPaula WegnerPam WrightDina Zanrosso 2

3

Reflecting Altadena’s History in Voice and VisionDear Altadena Residents,

Altadena Historical Society (AHS) hasbeen preserving and sharing the history ofour community since 1935. However, we

have sometimesfallen short incapturing the fullhistory of all itsresidents.

Altadena is one ofthe most raciallydiversecommunities in LosAngeles County, afact which bringspride to many of us. However, ourarchives contain more about our first families and other

white residents because their stories are more easily collected.

We have been frustrated for several years because, while we have some collections about people ofcolor, we’re missing their stories and their personal experiences.

We are asking for your help to chronicle voices and stories long left unheard so we can share themwith our entire community.

We are eager to collect photos, diaries, letters, oralhistories, and other artifacts from the Black, JapaneseAmerican, Latinx, Indigenous, and other people of colorin Altadena. We are committed to ensuring that culturesand voices represented within Altadena’s historicalnarrative reflect our true and complete history.

Do you have records you could donate? Do you havepictures like the ones on this page we could digitize orcopy for preservation and sharing? How about storiesyou could share in a recorded interview? Do you knowsomeone who could help us find and capture thesespecial memories?

Together we can make sure current and futuregenerations understand the rich history of ourcommunity. With your help we will expand our collection and share your stories through ournewsletters, our programs, and exhibits.

This is a journey toward inclusion. We pledge to stay the course.

If you can help, please email us at altadenahistorical.society@yahoo.com.

Thank you!

AHS

Altadena’s Estrada family – photos by Deb Squared Photo

4

Sufferage continued from page 1

musket or handling the bayonet.”The San Francisco Chronicle, theDemocratic party and some RomanCatholic organizations spoke against theeffort.And the State Legislature warned – “Your

wife is elected to Legislature and your daughteris elected constable and you are at home takingcare of the babies.” (James Caples, Sacramentodelegate, Second Constitutional Convention,1879.)

Willard Huntington Wright (who wrotethe Philo Vance crime novels popular at thetime) claimed women didn’t need the votefor they already ran the world by “sheerforce of femininity--womanliness, grace,charm, softness, beauty and the maternalcapacity.” Then, somewhat ungallantly, headded “The demand for equal rights comes,in a measure, from those women whoseattractiveness is so run down at the heels

that they are unable to command the marketquotation.”The fight was waged for decades before areferendum was finally held in 1896. Thisearlier effort failed, partially because manymen believed women would vote to ban thesale of alcohol.After 15 more years of campaigning,Proposition 4 (or Senate ConstitutionalAmendment 8) granting women the right tovote appeared on the ballot after KatherineEdson came to the movement through acampaign for enforceable pure milk laws. Sheled a delegation of L.A. women to convinceCalifornia Progressives to put the issue onthe Oct. 1911 ballot.There were only nine months to organize –and the campaigningbegan.Famous leaders suchas Elizabeth CadyStanton, SojournerTruth, Carrie ChapmanCatt, and Alice Paulwere leading the callacross the country,while here in California,less-familiar but equallystrong voices rose totake on the challenge.Naomi Anderson: An African-Americansuffragist, she traveled throughout the stateto campaign for women’s votes. Born inIndiana, she arrived in San Francisco in the1890s. She lectured and wrote, insisting thatdenying votes to African-American womenlong after their male counterparts had thatright continued to enslave them.The Fannie Jackson Coppin Club: Thisgroup was formed in Oakland in 1899 bywomen of Beth Eden Baptist Church. Thefirst club for African American women inthat city, it was named for Fannie JacksonCoppin, the first African American woman tobecome a school principal. Many memberswere active in suffragism, inspiring otherclubs throughout the state. Their motto was“Deeds, Not Words” and “Lifting as WeClimb.”

Naomi Anderson

5

Lydia Flood-Jackson: Born topolitically activeparents in Brooklyn,CA, she possessedmany skills,includingentrepreneur,inventor ofcosmetics andperfumes, civilrights activist, andleadership within the

suffrage community. She served as leader ofthe California Federation of ColoredWomen’s Clubs, with Hettie B. Tilghman,Melba Stafford and Willa Henry. Charlotta Spears Bass: A passionatesocial reformer, she published the State’slargest African-American newspaper (theCalifornia Eagle) and wrote pro-suffrageeditorials from Los Angeles. She went on toconfront the KKK and ran for Vice Presidentof the U.S. on the Progressive Party ticket in1952.Georgiana K. Offutt: She wrote for theCalifornia Eagle (see above) and was also aprominent leader of the suffrage cause--bothuncommon achievements among Blackwomen in the early 20th century. She waswidely respected in the suffrage movementand was elected Second Vice President of theAlameda County League of Colored WomenVoters. Along with two other Black women,Emma Lou Sayers, and Dr. Vada J.Somerville, Offutt developed a votereducation program for Black men andwomen which ensured informed andintelligent voting.

Maria de Lopez:Maria GuadalupeEvangelina Lopez wasborn in San Gabrieland graduated fromPasadena High Schoolin 1897. She taught atL.A. High School andalso at UCLA. Presidentof the College EqualSuffrage League, she

served as Spanish translator for themovement. She was the first woman to give aspeech in Spanish in support of suffrage atthe Votes for Women Club’s large rally onOct. 3, 1911. She was also chosen to marchin a Washington, DC Suffrage Parade andtoured California to lecture and advocate forsuffrage.Votes for Women Club: Selina Solomonscame from a Sephardic Jewish family in SanFrancisco. She created the Votes for WomenClub to appeal to shop clerks and workers onUnion Square. Suffragist literature wasavailable there along with a campaign toeliminate the “white slave trade” (aeuphemism for enforced prostitution.) Herprimary motive was to bring the struggle forvotes to ''middle and lower-class women." Other well-known members of Votes forWomen Club were Miss Mary Foy (L.A. City’s3rd librarian) who lived adjacent to ArroyoSeco, and Clara Shortridge Foltz, the firstfemale lawyer in California. Clara created theconcept of public defenders. At age 63, shewent up in a hot air balloon to scatter leafletsprinted on “suffrage yellow’’ paper. (TheCounty Criminal Courts building indowntown L.A. is named for her.)

Ty Leung: Active in social work amongthe Chinese in San Francisco, she was thefirst Chinese-American woman to vote. TheStudebaker-Flanders company tookadvantage of her prominence to use herimage in one of their cars as a publicity shot.These women were organizers, planners,

Lydia Flood-Jackson

Maria de Lopez

Ty Leung - casting her vote

6

and campaigners. “Every legitimate method ofcampaigning was used, beginning with theprinting of 900,000 leaflets and brochures … inmany languages; pageants, plays, concerts andpublic social functions; the placarding of citybillboards over miles of county … huge electricand other signs; long weeks of automobilecampaigning in the country and the villages;special speakers; a handsome float in the laborday parade; speaking at vaudeville shows.”(Mrs. David C. McCan, West Coast Magazine,July 1912)“A large photograph of Miss Anthony and

Miss Shaw was given for every $2 pledge, andmany poor seamstresses and washerwomenfulfilled their pledges in twenty-five centinstallments. And there were teachers andstenographers and other working women whowent without a winter coat to give money to thismovement for freedom.” (“Life and Work ofSusan B. Anthony”, Ida Husted Harper,1898)

Although LosAngeles promoteditself as a white,middle-class city,it never reallywas, and itssuffragists knewthey would needa diversecoalition. Asubstantialminority of thecity at that timewas Mexican or ofMexican descent,including Mariade Lopez, whosefamily had cometo the San GabrielValley in 1849.Clubwomen,Progressives and

Socialists all worked for the cause, and theCollege Equal Suffrage League and the WageEarners Suffrage League played importantroles. California’s diverse communitiesprovided essential support through articlesin Spanish, Chinese, German, Portuguese

and even Italian. White middle-classwomen’s clubs,unions, churchgroups, Black self-help groups,temperance groupsand Socialists allincorporated theissue into their day-to-day “grassroots”community work.They believed that ifwomen could vote,they could clean updirty politics andcure social ills, such as child labor,prostitution, and poverty. Lack ofenfranchisement became a powerful symbol,unifying women from all walks of life.Many political movements flourished inCalifornia in the early 1900s, hoping for amore egalitarian society. It was hoped thatwomen voters would help bring economicand political justice to a state controlled bywealthy corporations. The Women’sSocialist Union of California was formed in1902. The Women’s International UnionLabel League championed women’sprotective legislation, unionization, andsuffrage. However, they still faced fierce opposition.The Los Angeles Times continued its attackson the campaign and the city’s powerfulrailroad interests launched barrages basedon their fear that women would vote toimplement more government regulations.The Chair of the State Democratic Partycalled women’s suffrage “a disease,”advocated by the “mannish femalepolitician and the little effeminate, sissyman.”The Southern California Association,opposed to Woman Suffrage, published astinging letter in the Times claiming “Thevast majority of California women do not wantto vote.... The suffrage movement is a backwardstep in civilization.”Even so, the suffragists didn’t let up! In a

Commercial postcard with“positive images” of

suffragists @1908

Spanish language flyer

7

massive get out the vote effort, they drovevoters to polls in an estimated 260automobiles. “Mothers take your sons. Girls,take your sweethearts, your brothers or yourfathers!” Prohibited from being within 120feet of polling places or talking to voters,they stood in silent ranks, holding upposters demanding “a square deal’’ forwomen.Early returns suggested the measure hadlost. But, as distant district reports trickledin, the “yes” side began pulling aheadand, two days later, headlines announcedthat the amendment had squeezed out anarrow victory...winning by about 1.5%.Voters of Los Angeles were largelyresponsible for the victory, offsetting anti-suffrage votes in San Francisco andAlameda counties. Remember those blatant editorialscondemning the suffrage movement?Ironically, just two months later, theTimes' front page read: "The Times appealsto the intelligent women of Los Angeles toregister and vote" in a fiercely contestedmayoral race between incumbent GeorgeAlexander and the Socialist challenger, JobHarriman, who was very unpopular with theTimes' staff. Alexander won.One hundred and five years ago, fewerthan 4,000 votes changed the course ofCalifornia history. Had these votes not beencast, women in California would have hadto wait another nine years to make theirvoices heard. In 1911, just a handful ofvotes advanced civil rights for thousands,proving that votes matter. Proposition 4 did not, however, extend theright to vote for all women in California. By1920, at least one-third of IndigenousAmericans were considered “wards of thenation” by the US government and weredenied the right to vote, even after thepassage of the 19th amendment, until 1924 The Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882prevented Asian Americans from castingtheir ballots, and Puerto Rican women couldnot vote until 1935 when the literacyrequirement was removed.

Both Native Americans and AsianAmericans continued the fight. Zitkala-Sa, aNative activist (AKA Gertrude SimmonsBonnin) noted as much in a speech to theNational Woman’s Party after theamendment was ratified, saying that “theIndian woman rejoices with you,” but

adding the reminder that many Indigenouswomen still lacked the right that Whitewomen had won. Chinese-Americans suchas activist Mabel Lee led a suffrage parade inNew York City – on horseback.Other States voted for women’s suffrage,but the Federal Government did not. Thecampaign to secure that right went toWashington DC and got militant.Eventually, of course, after suffering andstruggle, imprisonments and turmoil, the19th amendment passed. The struggle forvoting goes on.As Alice Paul said, “Freedom has come,

not as a gift, but as a triumph.”

Notes: In addition to those already quoted,sources for this collection include: Wikipedia,Chinese Historical Society, Women’s HeritageMuseum, Celebrating Women’s Suffrage,sos.ca.gov, California.com.

— Pam Wright

Women’s suffrage parade

8

a month; a legal divorce followed four yearslater.In 1886, when she was 21, Kate landed inPasadena. After successful treatment fortuberculosis, she found employment as acompanion to the daughter of GovernorEdward Markham.In 1895 she set up a seamstress shop onGreen Street and Fair Oaks Avenue, in abuilding owned and managed by Col. G. G.Green. Green, a flamboyant character fromNew Jersey, made a fortune in patentmedicines. In 1888 he and his family builta large house in Altadena where they“wintered” each year.In 1900 Kate purchased a lot at 240 N.Grand, Pasadena, with a magnificent viewof the San Gabriel Mountains, whichoverlooked the Arroyo Seco where the RoseBowl stadium sits today. She moved hermodest cottageto the site andhired architectsCharles andHenry Greene totransform it intoa six-roomtransitional-stylecraftsman house. She sold thehouse 6 yearslater to TheodoreIrwin Jr. ofOswego, NewYork. Irwinbrought backGreene andGreene to makesubstantialchanges to thehome. Theybuilt amagnificenthouse in the Artsand Crafts style.Today, called theDuncan-IrwinHouse, it stands

Kate Duncan – A Pioneer in Fashion Design

If you’re in the mood for some exerciseand a bit of history, too, walk along onAltadena Drive, then turn north on

Maiden Lane. On your immediate left is atribute that reads, “The Kate Duncan House,

1915, Propertyacquired in1906 by Col.George G.Green, andsold topioneer dressdesigner Mrs.Kate Duncanin 1914”.Who wasKate Duncan?She was awoman whoforged herown path at atime whenmost womendidn’t. Shelived inAltadena,made hercareer inPasadena withenoughincome tosuccessfullyinvest in real

estate, was married and divorced, livedsingle and independently, and loved herfamily generously. Kate constructed three notable houses: APasadena home that after substantialmodification, would eventually become themagnificent Duncan-Irwin House; a largehouse in Altadena built in the Prairie Schoolstyle, and a handsome two story southweststyle home overlooking the north part ofthe Arroyo Seco. All three houses still standKathryn Mohn was born in Flatrock,Ohio, in 1865. In 1885 she married JamesDuncan, who was employed as a“motorman”. The marriage lasted less than

Sister Abbie in dressdesigned by Kate

Kate Duncan

as one of the finestexamples of their work.About the same timeshe sold the house, shemoved her shop fromwhat is now called TheCastle Green Annex to12 S. Euclid. Shortlyafter, she moved again,to 30 S. Los Robles andat that time probablyrebranded herself as afashion designer. Witha small staff ofseamstresses, her shopmade elaborate hatsand dresses for wealthy Pasadena Societyladies. Soon after establishing herself with herpatrons, Kate and her head seamstress,Helen Weingarth, took time off to tour theworld. It may have been to buy fabric, aswe know they spent time in India, a sourcefor high-quality cotton.In 1914 she purchased a vacant lot in

Altadenafrom herformerlandlord,George G.Green.Kate’s newhome,1051 E.AltadenaDrive, wasbuilt inthe PrairieSchoolstyle. Theupperfloor,

surrounded by windows for naturallighting, served as her design studio. Thehome cost more than $12,000, a large sumfor the time, when the average cost ofhomes was about $5000. During her most productive years she

9

purchased homes inAltadena for herparents, brother, sister,her nephew WilliamGus Mohn for whomshe’d been guardian,and her headseamstress HelenWeingarth.Kate was close to herbrother’s daughter,Bessie. They traveledcross-country togetherby automobile andwere known to maketheir own repairs and

change tires when necessary.She retired from dressmaking in 1920 atage 55, but continued to keep herselfbusy with family, friends and real estate.

She designed and built a large two-storyhome at 945 Shelly Street, on asubstantial piece of property overlookingthe north section of the Arroyo Seco. Shehired her brother, Harry C. Mohn, tobuild the house in the Southwest style. Kate died in 1985 at age 81 and isburied at Mountain View Cemetery. Although we’ve learned a lot about Kate

Duncan lately, with the help of her familyand historian Tim Gregory, we’re curiousabout her business and her dress designs. Ifyou know more about Kate Mohn Duncan,please let us know.— Jane Brackman

Kate Mohn (Duncan) house - Pasadena

The Duncan Irwin house – Pasadena

Beckett Hall - Altadena

Things are a bit different at theAltadena Historical Society rightnow. For one thing, we’re closed

to the public as long as Los AngelesCounty buildings remain closed.However, we’re working hard to keep intouch with our members through e-mailand social media. Our quarterly programs will occuronline for now. We’re grateful to PabloMiralles, whose film “Can’t We All GetAlong?”provided the topic for a livelyZoom discussion about the segregation ofJohn Muir High School. We’re equallygrateful to the Altadena Library for theirtechnical assistance.At the end of each month membersreceive an online newsletter, “Notes fromthe Archives,” featuring interestingimages and stories from our collection.“The Echo,” our twice-a-year 12-pagepublication, is still alive and well on our

website, www.altadenahistoricalsociety.org.,and e-mailed to our members. If you’re not checking our Facebook and

Instagram pages,you should be.We’re proud of ourgrowing followingof peopleinterested in thehistory we posteach Monday andFriday. Wewelcomecomments –viewers oftenprovide us withnew andilluminatinginformation.

New to the CollectionEven in these uncertain times, donationsto the Archives are continuing. TomMaloney sent us a hardback copy of ZaneGrey’s western “The Lone Star Ranger”; andJane Brackman donated a copy of “ThePacific Crest Trailway,” compiled byAltadenan Clifford C. Clarke who lived onMariposa Street. Jane also gave us a postcard of theArmstrong House on the corner of Mariposaand Marengo, after it became the JohnHoman School for Boys, which was oftenfondly remembered by former DistrictAttorney John Van de Kamp who attendedit when it was known as the TrailblazersSchool. On the back of the postcard is afirst person account of the 1938 flood byvisitors to Altadena. Photographs ofBraeburn after that flood came to us fromJeff Sedlik. Fred Smith sent us a great addition toour collection of early Altadena – snapshotsand digital copies of photos taken by hisgreat uncle, Harry J. Smith, who drove forthe Scripps Kellogg family in the early

What’s Up at AHS?

John Homan School for Boys 10

11

1900s. The include images of the family andfriends in Altadena and on vacations.In response to our call for stories andinformation about our diverse population,Paul Ayers sent us a photograph of abillboard promoting a restricted developmentplus documentation of Mount Lowe RailwayTrail’s 2000 designation as a MillenniumTrail; Jerry Friedman provided digitalphotos of a Black Lives Matter protest in

Altadena; Kay Toll recommended peoplewith stories to tell; and Eugene Hutchinsgave us information on Tuskegee AirmanOliver Goodall. Steve Haussler contributeda file his mother, Astrid Ellerseik, kept whichincludes articles on desegregation inPasadena Unified School District, and ascrapbook which records efforts to enforcerestrictive covenants in the Farnsworth Parkarea. Thanks to everyone who helps us improveand deepen our collection.

Coming Soon100 Years of Lights: The Story ofChristmas Tree Lane

Christmas lights first lit Santa RosaAvenue’s deodars on December 24, 1920.This December, Christmas Tree Lanecelebrates its 100th birthday. To celebrateChristmas Tree Lane’s centennial year,Altadena Library and Altadena HistoricalSociety, with the help of Christmas TreeLane Association member Mary Landau,will present a virtual tour of this nationallandmark on Saturday, December 12. Thisvisual history replaces the annual lightingceremony during this period of socialdistancing,Watch for more information on how tosee it!— Jean Philips

Mrs. Kellogg and the Scripps’ residence— May 1908

Christmas Tree Lane — 1947

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