La Cañada History: Commercial fire causes $1.5 million in damage; residents seek to change street name
Ten Years Ago
Opera star Placido Domingo was among the grandparents honored when Hoggs Hollow Preschool & Kindergarten in La Cañada held its annual Thanksgiving feast in the school’s Wikwemikong tepee, set up for the occasion by parent volunteers, assisted by students.
Twenty Years Ago
An electrical problem in the ceiling area of an empty Bank of America building caused what was called the most devastating commercial fire in La Cañada history. Suffering a combined loss of $1.5 million were four shops in the 500 block of Foothill Boulevard. County firefighters responded in less than two minutes and save the other businesses, including Ralphs grocery store. No injuries were reported, although county Fire Chief Mark D. McConnell said that at one point only seconds separated two firefighters from death.
Thirty Years Ago
The city council agenda for the night of Dec. 2, 1985 read in part, “Happy Birthday La Cañada Flintridge.” For the occasion, city officials brought cookies and apple juice to the meeting and then-Mayor Barbara Pieper announced it was the city’s ninth birthday.
Forty Years Ago
The Col. Sanders’ Kentucky Fried Chicken Kitchen in west La Cañada advertised a “Buck-a-Box” sale on its menu. The sale included a box containing two pieces of fried chicken, mashed potatoes with gravy, cole slaw and a roll for $1.
Fifty Years Ago
Twelve families who lived on Coutinwood Road in La Cañada petitioned to have their street’s name changed, calling it “unpronounceable and unspellable.” They suggested instead “Castle Knoll Road,” which is the name of the cul-de-sac today.
Sixty Years Ago
The Regional Planning Commission approved a tentative plan to subdivide about 3 1/2 acres of land south of Lyans Drive and east of Castle Road, submitted by the owner, William E. Johnson Jr. The land would eventually be divided into eight single-family residential lots.
Compiled from the Valley Sun archives by Carol Cormaci
