Christmas Tree Lane, Altadena’s Historic Avenue Lighted for the Season

By Bill Peters

Published: Monday, December 14th, 2009

Altadena’s historic Christmas Tree Lane opens for drive-thoughs of Santa Rosa Ave. after dark.  The deodars will remain lit through Jan. 6, 2010.
The deodars, planted in 1883, provided a picturesque entrance to the John P. Woodbury Ranch where Woodbury planned a large estate.

The estate never materialized but the owner of Pasadena department store, F. C. Nash, envisioned a holiday treat with all of the trees aglow during December.  In 1920, Nash sold his idea to the Pasadena Kiwanis Club.  With the assistance of the City of Pasadena, lights were installed on some of the trees.  Finally, all 150 trees lining the street were decorated.

Although it may have had the name “Lane of Deodars” and later, “Christmas Tree Street”, postcards from the era called it “Christmas Tree Lane” and that name has been used since the late 1930′s.

Christmas Tree Lane is located in Altadena on Santa Rosa Ave. between Woodbury Ave. and Altadena Drive.

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Posted by Bill Peters on Dec 14th, 2009 and filed under Entertainment. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response by filling following comment form or trackback to this entry from your site

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