Mountain Views News, Sierra Madre Edition [Pasadena] Saturday, March 17, 2018

Enjoy Wistaria Festival 2018! 
If you are thinking of buying or selling, please 
contact me for a FREEmarket analysis on your home. 
Be sure to stop by the Podley Properties booth for 
Refreshments & a Historic Sierra Madre Homes Map! 
Kersting Court — 30 N. Baldwin Avenue 
Diane Hatfield 
626.833.3171 
diane.hatfield@podley.com 
#01418407Top Producer Circle 
2015, 2016, 2017 
SECTION BSATURDAY, MARCH 17, 2018 
SUNDAY, MARCH 18, 2018 
In 1894, William and Alice Brugmanpurchased a home on what was thencalled Piedmont, which is now calledW. Carter Ave. The house had been built 
one year before by builder Amos Trussellfor his daughter Winona and son-in-lawEdward B. Jones when they married. Itwas the first wedding celebrated in earlySierra Madre. 
The Trussells and the Jones had a 
change of plans, sold to the Brugmansand moved away. To enhance her 
new home, Alice Brugman and herneighbor Mrs. W. B. Crisp, drove byhorse and buggy to the R. H. WilsonPioneer Nursery in Monrovia and for$.75 purchased a gallon can of wistaria.
It was the Chinese Wistaria variety(Wisteria sinensis). She planted it in acorner of her front porch remarking toher neighbor: “They say Wistaria grows fast.” Andgrow it did. 
Mr. Brugman, a mining engineer, was inMexico when the vine was planted. He diedin 1899 and Mrs. Brugman sold the home in 
1906. The property changed hands until it waspurchased in 1913 by Henry T. and Estelle Fennel.
Mr. Fennel, who was a bit of a horticulturist, loved 
the vine, and gave it devoted care, even buildingsupport trellises. 
Although the Wistaria is a vigorous grower,
the added support of the trellises may havecontributed to this vine’s phenomenal growth. Thearbors prevented the end tendrils from hangingdown and causing the tender terminal buds to diefrom the added weight. Wistaria requires gooddrainage, certainly provided by this hilly, terracedlocation. There may also be an undergroundspring providing water to the tap root. 
The vine eventually destroyed the originalhome, growing into the walls and fireplace andcausing the roof to collapse. Mr. Fennel builta new home 200 feet to the north (the presentupper home) and trained the vine to grow up to,
but not covering the new residence. A portion ofthe foundation of that original home was savedto continue to provide support for the vine as itsbranches extended such a distance. 
When the vine was in bloom, the Fennels would 
invite friends to come and enjoy the blossomingplant. Visitors also came from Pasadena’s main 
hotels: The Green, The Huntington, and The 
Raymond. In 1918, the Fennels opened the vineto the Sierra Madre Chapter of the AmericanRed Cross, which sponsored a very successfulfundraiser to help the war effort. 12,000 peopleattended the event. This was the beginning ofmany Wistaria festivals that took place year afteryear. Sierra Madre became known as the WistariaCity. Many local organizations, including theBoard of Trade (now the Chamber of Commerce),
the Woman’s Club, the Masons and Eastern Star,
the Sierra Madre Volunteer Fire Dept., etc. wereinvolved. 
Many homemade items, fancy work, ceramics,
artwork, gift books, and Wistaria fragrancedperfume, hand lotion and bath salts were soldat booths under the vine. Luncheons and teas 
were served, often with young Japanese womenwearing their kimonos. 
The hard work and money earned at the vineby the Woman’s Club paid off the mortgage oftheir first clubhouse. One year the Fire Dept.
parked 30,000 cars on the parking lot that existedin Floral Canyon. (This is now Sierra MeadowDr.). Easter sunrise services were among vineactivities. People came from all over the world andextra street cars were added to handle the crowds. 
Among the famous were Fritz Kreisler, JanetLeigh, Mary Pickford, and Norman Rockwell.
These two helped select the festival’s WistariaQueen. Packard Automobile Co. used the vine asa backdrop to advertise its automobile. 
On December 5, 1936, Carrie Ida Lawlesspurchases the vine property (Continued on B2) 
The Vine 
Sierra Madre’s124-Year Old Wistaria* Vine By Phyllis Chapman 
Enjoy Wistaria Festival 2018! 
If you are thinking of buying or selling, please 
contact me for a FREEmarket analysis on your home. 
Be sure to stop by the Podley Properties booth for 
Refreshments & a Historic Sierra Madre Homes Map! 
Kersting Court — 30 N. Baldwin Avenue 
Diane Hatfield 
626.833.3171 
diane.hatfield@podley.com 
#01418407Top Producer Circle 
2015, 2016, 2017 
SECTION BSATURDAY, MARCH 17, 2018 
SUNDAY, MARCH 18, 2018 
In 1894, William and Alice Brugmanpurchased a home on what was thencalled Piedmont, which is now calledW. Carter Ave. The house had been built 
one year before by builder Amos Trussellfor his daughter Winona and son-in-lawEdward B. Jones when they married. Itwas the first wedding celebrated in earlySierra Madre. 
The Trussells and the Jones had a 
change of plans, sold to the Brugmansand moved away. To enhance her 
new home, Alice Brugman and herneighbor Mrs. W. B. Crisp, drove byhorse and buggy to the R. H. WilsonPioneer Nursery in Monrovia and for$.75 purchased a gallon can of wistaria.
It was the Chinese Wistaria variety(Wisteria sinensis). She planted it in acorner of her front porch remarking toher neighbor: “They say Wistaria grows fast.” Andgrow it did. 
Mr. Brugman, a mining engineer, was inMexico when the vine was planted. He diedin 1899 and Mrs. Brugman sold the home in 
1906. The property changed hands until it waspurchased in 1913 by Henry T. and Estelle Fennel.
Mr. Fennel, who was a bit of a horticulturist, loved 
the vine, and gave it devoted care, even buildingsupport trellises. 
Although the Wistaria is a vigorous grower,
the added support of the trellises may havecontributed to this vine’s phenomenal growth. Thearbors prevented the end tendrils from hangingdown and causing the tender terminal buds to diefrom the added weight. Wistaria requires gooddrainage, certainly provided by this hilly, terracedlocation. There may also be an undergroundspring providing water to the tap root. 
The vine eventually destroyed the originalhome, growing into the walls and fireplace andcausing the roof to collapse. Mr. Fennel builta new home 200 feet to the north (the presentupper home) and trained the vine to grow up to,
but not covering the new residence. A portion ofthe foundation of that original home was savedto continue to provide support for the vine as itsbranches extended such a distance. 
When the vine was in bloom, the Fennels would 
invite friends to come and enjoy the blossomingplant. Visitors also came from Pasadena’s main 
hotels: The Green, The Huntington, and The 
Raymond. In 1918, the Fennels opened the vineto the Sierra Madre Chapter of the AmericanRed Cross, which sponsored a very successfulfundraiser to help the war effort. 12,000 peopleattended the event. This was the beginning ofmany Wistaria festivals that took place year afteryear. Sierra Madre became known as the WistariaCity. Many local organizations, including theBoard of Trade (now the Chamber of Commerce),
the Woman’s Club, the Masons and Eastern Star,
the Sierra Madre Volunteer Fire Dept., etc. wereinvolved. 
Many homemade items, fancy work, ceramics,
artwork, gift books, and Wistaria fragrancedperfume, hand lotion and bath salts were soldat booths under the vine. Luncheons and teas 
were served, often with young Japanese womenwearing their kimonos. 
The hard work and money earned at the vineby the Woman’s Club paid off the mortgage oftheir first clubhouse. One year the Fire Dept.
parked 30,000 cars on the parking lot that existedin Floral Canyon. (This is now Sierra MeadowDr.). Easter sunrise services were among vineactivities. People came from all over the world andextra street cars were added to handle the crowds. 
Among the famous were Fritz Kreisler, JanetLeigh, Mary Pickford, and Norman Rockwell.
These two helped select the festival’s WistariaQueen. Packard Automobile Co. used the vine asa backdrop to advertise its automobile. 
On December 5, 1936, Carrie Ida Lawlesspurchases the vine property (Continued on B2) 
The Vine 
Sierra Madre’s124-Year Old Wistaria* Vine By Phyllis Chapman 
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