Lamanda Park began as a 1,300 acres
Sunny Slope Ranch large agricultural ranch purchased and owned by German immigrant L.J. Rose. Later a number of
wineries opened in Lamanda Park like: Sunny Slope Winery, Sierra Madre Vintage Company, Golden Park Winery, Mountain Wine Company, and A. Brighton Winery. These operated from 1865 to 1923. On September 16, 1885, the
Los Angeles and San Gabriel Valley Railroad opened the first
train stop at Lamanda Park. The rail line ran from Lamanda Park to downtown
Los Angeles, with a stop at downtown Pasadena and later
South Pasadena, California. By January 1887 the rail line continued on to
Azusa, California and later that year to
Monrovia, California. At its peak Lamanda Park had its own paper, Herald Lamanda Park, post office, movie house, bank and school. Park had many citrus groves and vineyards, the station provided shipping for these goods.
Prohibition ended the wineries and all that remains are grape-inspired street names like: Del Vina, Vine, Vinedo, Vineyard, and
Mataro. The last Citrus packer was Sierra-Madre Lamanda Park Citrus Association, they boxed oranges, lemons, limes, and grapefruit. The packing house was at the corner of Walnut Street and San Gabriel Boulevard.
Pacific Electric initiated their
Lamanda Park Line streetcar service to Pasadena in 1905 and operated the line until 1941. The Los Angeles and San Gabriel Valley Railroad line later became part of the
Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway, and service to Lamanda Park ended in the 1950s. This rail right-of-way later became the
A Line tracks, and a stop returned nearby with the
Sierra Madre Villa station. Lamanda Park doubles as
Bedford Falls in 1946
It's a Wonderful Life movie, including a shot at the Lamanda Park train station. The station was demolished in 1953. ==References==