The Sierra Madre Historical Preservation Society invites you to attend their annual meeting, Thursday, February 17, 6:30pm, at the SM United Methodist Church Hartzell Hall. This is located at the corner of W. Sierra Madre Blvd. and Michillinda Ave., with parking north of the Church. Enter the parking lot from Michillinda, and Hartzell Hall is just a few steps away. There is no charge for the evening, and refreshments will be served.
Local resident Dan Richter will present a slide program about the historic Mt. Wilson Trail, the oldest trail this side of the San Gabriel mountains. Richter is truly a “mountain man” who has hiked the trail for twenty years, climbed several mountain peaks, and is an active member of the Sierra Club. He has had a long career in the theater as a mime, actor, director, choreographer, author, and for two decades, a Hollywood producer.
Also to be introduced will be Maurice Orme, an Historical Society member whose family owned Lizzie’s Trail Inn and Richardson House from 1938 until Lizzie’s closing in 1948. The two are now museums operated by the Society, located at the foot of the Trail. The Ormes were related to “Lizzie” McElwain, who ran the popular restaurant from 1925 to 1938, when she sold due to poor health.
2011 is a significant year for the Society as they celebrate their 80th birthday. This annual meeting is the first event planned for the year. Their recent publication, a prize winning history of the city entitled “Southern California Story: Seeking the Better Life in Sierra Madre” will also be available for sale that evening. For additional information, call Phyllis Chapman, at 355-3928.