For anyone doing work Pasadena, I *strongly* suggest you begin your research here..
http://www.oac.cdlib.org/view?docId=tf8g5006ct;query=;style=oac4;view=admin#descgrp-1.7.2
The Public Works Dept, though very helpful, have extremely limited information as far as survey records. In Old Town Pasadena, dual centerlines appear to be the norm. There can be one centerline that has been monumented and tied out and indexed by the former city crews and another one that has to be discovered when doing a field survey. Just in my block I have seen shifts of 0.91', 2.41', 5.47' and the particular skew mentioned below and I am working what could be termed a "clean block".
The survey I am currently doing has a monumented centerline that skews 8 minutes from one intersection heading west in comparision to the centerline that occupation determines. When zero setback buildings are involved, this does make a difference.
Ryan: Maybe you should start advising some of the surveyors who do surveys in Pasadena and submit maps for your firm to check to also check the Allin Bros collection. It could solve a lot of the problems in that area.
> Ryan: Maybe you should start advising some of the surveyors who do surveys in Pasadena and submit maps for your firm to check to also check the Allin Bros collection. It could solve a lot of the problems in that area.
Thanks Paul. I have done that. I also have David Hobbs' spreadsheet with the contents listed. Whenever a new map comes in I check to see if the area is covered in the books.
Pasadena Research - Old Town and beyond - Ryan
> Thanks Paul. I have done that. I also have David Hobbs' spreadsheet with the contents listed. Whenever a new map comes in I check to see if the area is covered in the books.
WTG Ryan!
I converted the Excell to a PDF. I'll mail that to you if you would like it.
Ryan..BTW
I searched the Allin Bros record index this morning and found 11 seperate references to the four street intersections my block is bounded by. The dates range from 1893 to 1932. One particular reference dated 1901 specifically mentions my block, it reads..
"Raymond Avenue & Walnut Street (NW) Goodwin Subdivision"
Thats my subdivision and I think that Allin Bros may have set the corners for the lots in that area. Goodwins was created in 1885.
I have to go to the Pasadena Historical Museum this afternoon and get those 11 surveys. Should be interesting.
Ryan..BTW
I have to go to the Pasadena Historical Museum this afternoon and get those 11 surveys
In California, historical museums are the only place to obtain copies of original subdivision town surveys? Did they not record them with the county?
How did it come to be that the County Surveyor's office does not have copies of these original surveys? Seems like if they were known to be in existence, the county would have obtained them and made copies to include in their resources. JRL
Jeremy
> In California, historical museums are the only place to obtain copies of original subdivision town surveys? Did they not record them with the county?
The City of Pasadena Public Works donated them to the museum, probably while they
were in the process of destroying other survey notes that they felt were irrelevant.
>
> How did it come to be that the County Surveyor's office does not have copies of these original surveys? Seems like if they were known to be in existence, the county would have obtained them and made copies to include in their resources.
The County does not and should not be custodian for the records of incorporated cities.
Makes me glad that all the ones I worked on in Pasadena were out at the fringes. On the Pasadena/Altadena line or the Arcadia/Pasadena line.
Not a one in Old Town.
Pasadena Research - Old Town and beyond - Ryan
> I converted the Excell to a PDF. I'll mail that to you if you would like it.
Please do. My email is in my profile, if you don't have it handy. Thanks.
Pasadena Research - Old Town and beyond - Ryan
Paul,
Please send it my way too. LA County checks some Pasadena maps now and again. Thanks!
Pasadena Research - Old Town and beyond - Ryan/Dennis
Ok..I'll email an excel file to you guys.
I met Susan Roberts of CLSA there yesterday and she was starting some preliminary work for getting some of Bartletts work indexed. I think there are two full field books just of jobs this person has done. I guess it's the same area of Pasadena and local to the city.
If Susan would stop being a lurker and introduce herself to the wolves in the den here, then she could bring us up to speed on what she is doing. I think she mentioned that there is another collection also..
