Mountain Views News          Saturday, October 1, 2011

Mountain Views News 80 W Sierra Madre Blvd. No. 327 Sierra Madre, Ca. 91024 Office: 626.355.2737 Fax: 626.609.3285 Email: editor@mtnviewsnews.com Website: www.mtnviewsnews.com

NATURE & THE ENVIRONMENT

5

AROUND SAN GABRIEL VALLEY

Mountain Views-News Saturday, October 1, 2011 


“What’s Going On?” 

News and Views from Joan Schmidt

by Christopher Nyerges

RICHARD TOYON:

Ethnobotanist and Boy Scout leader

Teaches how the People lived in the Old Days


MONROVIA HISTORICAL MUSEUM,

HERE WE COME!


[Nyerges is the author of 
“How to Survive Anywhere” 
and other books. His weekly podcast can be 
heard at Preparedness Radio Network. He can be 
reached at Box 41834, Eagle Rock, CA 90041, or 
www.ChristopherNyerges.com]

Richard Toyon is a 14th generation Californian, 
according to the official records of the Mission 
San Juan Capistrano. He is descended from 
the Parra clan of the Acjachemem nation 
(pronounced “A-HA-Sha-mem), formerly known 
as the Mission Band of the Juaneno Indians. His 
family originates in what is now the city of San 
Juan Capistrano. He is a descendant of Alejo 
Parra, and the area was once called Rancho de 
los Toyones. Richard Toyon’s grandfather’s name 
was Ortiz de los Toyones, and after him the 
family name was shortened to just “Toyon.”

Toyon lives in La Crescenta and is active in 
Boy Scouts, local politics, and in representing 
the Tongva Tribe for various environmental and 
public issues.

Of course, when we first spoke, I could not 
wait to ask him about the native toyon tree, the 
tree from which his family name comes. Though 
there are probably a dozen common ways of 
preparing the fruit – ground into meal, made 
into a drink, made into a dessert – Toyon says 
that at Acjachemem get-togethers today, the fruit 
is cooked in a wok, fried and lightly seasoned, 
and served 50/50 with rice. 

He has also seen the toyon berries mashed up 
and served on top of potatoes, with butter.

“When I give my walks and lectures a few times 
a year, I talk about the native uses of plants,” he 
explains. “The ethnobotanical uses of plants, not 
necessarily just the food uses.”

Toyon, who works in the film industry as a 
production designer, then went on to tell me 
about the first real estate venture just south of 
Griffith Park. “These guys looked up in the 
hills and they saw all the toyon trees with their 
brilliant red fruit, and they called the place 
‘Hollywood Land.’ They should have called it 
‘Toyonwood,” he laughs.

The toyon tree produces its fruit in the winter, 
which made it a bit unique among the native 
plants, most of which produced their fruit in 
summer and fall. “And the toyon fruit played a 
significant role in the Acjachemem diet.” 

“I also take dried toyon berries on my Scout 
trips and sometimes mix them into the regular 
trail mix to see if the Scouts even notice it. Toyon 
studied biology in college, and has been a forest 
fire fighter, a ranger, and now also is the leader 
of Boy Scout Troop 317 in Montrose. “I always 
try to educate the Scouts about the natural foods. 
For one of their merit badges, they need to know 
native plants, but most of them genuinely like 
the wild plants that I let them taste,” he explains. 
“We had a Scout trip to Buckhorn in the Angeles 
National Forest when the native rose hips were 
fruiting. They were the bluest rose hips I’ve 
ever seen. We gathered a few cups of the fruit, 
mashed them up, and the boys put them on their 
pancakes like jam. They loved it! The boys were 
amazed that it tasted so good.”

He often gets asked about acorns, which was 
perhaps the most widely used plant food among 
all Southern California Indians. 

“The old-fashioned way of getting out the 
tannic acid, and then grinding them into a 
mush or flour is a lot of work,” Toyon explains. 
“I tell people who want to try acorns to just go 
to a Korean store and buy some. Acorn flour is a 
common commodity at most Korean stores.”

At home, Toyon makes a simple non-leavened 
bread from the acorn flour, which he compares to 
the nan bread from East Indian restaurants. “We 
cook it in a pan like tortillas,” he explains.

“One elder once told me that the seedheads 
of the wild California buckwheat was one of the 
flours that the elder people ate because it didn’t 
require grinding and the seed were very small. 
Since it required no grinding, there would not 
be tiny bits of stone in the meal that would hurt 
the elder people’s teeth.” California buckwheat 
seed heads are round and dark brown in color, 
and can be simply gathered, rubbed between the 
hands, and used in various recipes.

Before we were done, we spoke about many 
medicinal plants, and issues relating to native 
people today.

Toyon is often outspoken against various 
local real estate developments, and was named 
Crescenta Valley Volunteer of the year in 2007. 
He acts as a field representative for the Tongva 
Nation, and has spoken on their behalf on 
various environmental and cultural issues. 
Toyon also successfully lobbied to the U.S. 
Geological Survey to have a prominent peak in 
the Verdugo Mountains named Tongva Peak, in 
honor of the first people of the L.A. basin. (The 
other prominent peak in the Verdugos is called 
Verdugo Peak.) You can see Tongva Peak if you 
go to the intersection of Briggs and Foothill in La 
Crescenta and look south right at the peak.

Readers who are interested in contacting 
Richard Toyon can do so via Christopher Nyerges, 
through this paper or through his web-site, www.
ChristopherNyerges.com

Back in June, 1987, we 
moved to Monrovia, and 
the City was celebrating 
its Centennial. I wondered 
if the city was named after 
our 5th President, James 
Monroe. No, I was told. 
Monrovia is named after William Newton 
Monroe, a pioneer railroad builder.

William Newton Monroe (1841-1935) 
was born in Lexington, Indiana. During his 
lifetime, he married Mary Jane Hill (1845-
1932), and their children included Milton 
(1822-1899-very tragic death as a result 
of a train crash near Pomona-he was the 
brakeman and the train went off the track.) , 
George (1868-1951), Myrtle (1873-1960) and 
Maybelle (1883-1963). (All are interred at Live 
Oak Cemetery, here in Monrovia.)

Monroe lived quite an interesting life-
he served with the 1st Iowa Calvary during 
the Civil War. Afterwards, he became a 
contractor and railroad builder for Union 
Pacific lines west of Omaha. In 1884, the 
Monroes came to California. For twelve years 
he was superintendent of Construction for the 
Southern Pacific Railroad and apparently was 
quite successful. In 1886, he purchased 240 
acres of pristine land from Lucky Baldwin for 
$30,000. Monroe’s ranch lay along Foothill 
Boulevard. Travelers seeking directions were 
told, “You go VIA the Monroe Ranch.” That 
is why, when Monroe and others laid out the 
town, they put “VIA” after “Monroe”, hence 
we have “MONROVIA”.

Mr. Monroe really traveled in his work! 
At the turn of the Century, he was down in 
Mexico and spent four years there building 
railroads! In 1907, he traveled way up north 
to the Klondike gold fields! He built the first 
Alaskan railroad, a line from Nome to Anvil 
Creek. After this project, he retired and came 
home to live with his family.

The Museum has many sights to see and 
things to enjoy. It has been renovated since 
my last visit over ten years ago. One enters 
the Museum into a large foyer/main room 
which is quite lovely. You sign in and can view 
various displays. Then, there are two LARGE 
areas- on either side.

My son and I walked to the left. It had 
several little areas depicting rooms in the “Old 
Days”-such as a kitchen, hospital room, parlor, 
bedroom, and school room. We continued 
and proceeded to the “Police Room” and what 
an experience. There were pictures of ALL 
the police chiefs and various personnel ones. 
Mannequins wore uniforms from different 
time periods, there was a video to watch 
and even a Police motorcycle and bicycle on 
display!

If one had proceeded to the right from 
the main room, there also was much to see 
and enjoy. Glass display cases with dolls and 
artifacts from Native Americans are among 
the many sights. In recognition of Hispanic 
Heritage Month, collages/displays of many 
prominent Hispanic businessmen and their 
families are set up.

The best comes last! The “Telephone Room” 
is awesome. On the wall are MANY phones. 
Children are permitted to “touch” them. 
There also are two telephone switchboards! 

Adjoining the Museum is a beautiful park 
with playground equipment and picnic tables. 
Bring the family and make a day of it!

MONROVIA HISTORICAL MUSEUM

742 East Lemon Ave.

Monrovia, CA 91016

(626) 357-9537


PET OF THE WEEK: Chester: Animal ID #A4334128

Meet the stunningly handsome Chester 
(A4334128)! He is a loving four-year-old male 
brown and tan German Shepherd mix who 
came to the Baldwin Park shelter as a stray from 
Pasadena on September 2. Weighing sixty-nine 
pounds, this boy is treat-motivated and should be 
quite easy to train. He does well with other dogs 
after a proper introduction. Chester exudes good 
energy and would make an excellent running 
buddy, but would also be content lounging 
around and being a total love bug. Chester will 
be a wonderful new family member for an active 
individual or family in a private home with a 
yard. To watch a video of a volunteer interacting 
with Chester, please visit: http://www.youtube.
com/watch?v=qYyNqeheKmE

To meet Chester in person, please see him at 
the Baldwin Park Shelter, located at 4275 N. 
Elton, Baldwin Park, CA 91706 (Phone: 626-
430-2378). He is currently available now and 
his adoption fee is $80. For any inquiries about 
Chester, please reference his animal ID number: 
A4334128. The shelter is open seven days a week, 
12 pm-7 pm Monday-Thursday and 10am-5pm 
Friday-Sunday. This is a high-intake shelter with 
a great need for adoptions. For more information 
about Chester or the adoption process, contact 
United Hope for Animals Volunteer Adoption 
Coordinator Samantha at samanthasayon@
gmail.com or 661-309-2674. To learn more about 
United Hope for Animals’ partnership with the 
Baldwin Park Shelter through its Shelter Support 
Program, as well as the many dogs of all breeds, 
ages, and sizes available for adoption in local 
shelters, visit http://www.unitedhope4animals.
org/about-us/shelter-support-program/.


UPDATE: INVASIVE MOSQUITO IN SAN GABRIEL VALLEY

After identifying Asian tiger mosquitoes 
(Aedes albopictus) in the city of El Monte, the 
San Gabriel Valley Mosquito & Vector Control 
District undertook an aggressive door-to-
door campaign to evaluate the extent of the 
infesatation, control adult and larval mosquito 
populations, and educate the public.

Below are the results of that campaign:

The District sent 25 employees and volunteers 
door-to-door throughout a 1/2 square mile area 
around the initial find. Staff visited nearly 1,000 
homes and businesses leaving multi-language 
flyers and conducting roughly 800 inspections. 
“The results of this surveillance effort were not 
encouraging” reports Kenn Fujioka, the District’s 
assistant manager.

Asian tiger mosquitoes were identified at 15 
sites throughout the survey area, and 31% of 
ovitraps (a surveillance tool which attracts egg-
laying females) placed at 46 sites contained Aedes 
eggs.

Pesticides were applied in a small area where 
the mosquito was first identified and the results 
were more promising. Before the application to 
control adult mosquitoes, 52.4% of the ovitraps 
contained eggs. Three days after treatment only 
13.3% of the ovitraps contained eggs – a 75% 
reduction.

Although the treatment was successful at 
reducing the adult population in that localized 
area, it will not be effective on a large scale. 
Fujioka notes, “Now that we have determined 
the infestation is not localized, we will look at 
treatment protocols


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