Bolton Hall Museum Recalls Lazy Days of Sunland-Tujunga

It might be hard to imagine today, but the Sunland-Tujunga area was once a popular vacation spot, which offered fancy resorts and scenic landscapes.

Years ago, it was among the favorite spots for Los Angeles residents to relax and get away from hectic city life. The area was also known for its olive groves, where olive oil was sold.

Of course, that was in the 1920s, and the area has changed so much it’s difficult to imagine what it once was like.

Nowadays, Sunland and Tujunga are working-class neighborhoods best known because their names appear on signs on the 210 Freeway. And there seems to be little reason for folks who don’t live in the area to stop there.

But here’s a reason, especially for those who want to reminisce about the good old days: Bolton Hall Museum in Tujunga.

It’s a rock structure built in 1913 in what was then called Los Terrenitos (Little Lands). A man named George Harris built the place using rocks gathered from local hillsides and Tujunga Wash.

Today, the structure definitely looks out of place among the neighborhood’s run-down apartment buildings and small warehouses.

Fortunately, it’s protected from urban destruction and decay, thanks to a 1962 resolution that declared Bolton Hall a historical monument.

Inside, visitors can gain a sense of history about the area. There’s a sewing machine from the early 1900s, a large chest from 1920 and some of the simple equipment used to build the house--an old wheelbarrow with rusty tools in it.

“Those are the actual things they used to build this place,” said docent Evelyn Burdge, a Tujunga resident since 1937. “Incredible, isn’t it?”

The spacious main room has shiny hardwood floors and a huge rock fireplace in the center. The room is lined with a series of glass cases featuring different exhibits.

The first has baskets, marine fossils and tools used by the Gabrielino Indians who once lived in the area. There are arrow points and scrapers as well as decorative baskets.

Another exhibit offers a history of Tujunga. There’s the land grant the Lopez brothers received in 1840, the original record of land transfer from 1845, old maps and a variety of photos illustrating the area’s different stages of growth.

“The area has changed so much,” Burdge said. “I remember when we used to have our own water company in Tujunga. In 1947, we had to turn to city water because there were too many people in the area.”

BE THERE

Tours--Learn about the vast history of the Sunland-Tujunga area at Bolton Hall Museum, 10110 Commerce Ave., Tujunga. Exhibits feature Gabrielino Indians, the area’s olive farms and local authors. Museum is open Tuesdays and Sundays, 1-4 p.m.; tours available other days by appointment. Admission is free. Information: (818) 352-1718.