In 1952, La Cañada held its first Harvest Moon Dance

Ten Years Ago

Young members of the La Cañada Youth Sports Coalition, supervised by adults, teamed up for an old-fashioned cleanup of the La Cañada High School varsity and junior varsity fields, as well as the field at the former Oak Grove Elementary School property.

More than 40 volunteers participated over the period of a few early-fall weekends, repainting baseball backstops and dugout areas.

Twenty Years Ago

Hospitality House at Descanso Gardens teemed with about 150 party-goers following a groundbreaking ceremony for the $1.5-million International Rosarium.

It was expected that the new garden area would be completed and opened to the public by 1994.

Thirty Years Ago

Golf balls placed in the swimming pool pump at La Cañada High School by vandals were blamed for causing more than $4,600 in damage to the equipment.

Forty Years Ago

An early-morning fire in the kitchen of Finch’s Drive-in temporarily closed the downtown La Cañada business. Owner Denis Murray, then marking his first anniversary of operating the restaurant, estimated damage at about $1,000. The blaze was under investigation as arson.

Fifty Years Ago

Two La Cañada girls, ages 13 and 14, admitted to sheriff’s juvenile officers that they unintentionally started a major fire in the heavily wooded Winery Canyon above Alta Canyada that threatened several local homes before it was extinguished. According to a report, the girls had lighted at least one candle while exploring a tunnel there, then discarded it in dry brush.

Sixty Years Ago

Baptiste Way resident Mrs. George Turner, her features suffused in candlelight, modeled for the cover of the Valley Sun in a publicity photo for the first Harvest Moon Dance that was taking place that weekend.

It was later reported that 350 couples turned out for the event, held on the La Cañada Junior High sports field and illuminated by paper lanterns. About $700 was raised to complete a parking lot for the new Youth House.