B2
A LITTLE WISTARIA HISTORY
Mountain View News Saturday, March 18, 2023
The Vine
Sierra Madre’s 128-Year Old Wistaria* Vine By Phyllis Chapman
EDITOR'S NOTE:
Phyllis Chapman, Sierra Madre's Historian and
foremost authority on all things 'Wistaria', passed away
in 2020. This year's festival, the first since 2019 will not
only be blessed with the presence of our beloved Phyllis,
but visitors will not be able to see the Grand Vine, which
is the the subject of this history. However there will be a
tour of historic homes many of which also have splendid,
although smaller vines. Hopefully in 2023 we will be
able to tour the Grand Vine again.
In 1894, William and Alice Brugman
purchased a home on what was then called
Piedmont, which is now called W. Carter Ave.
The house had been built one year before by
builder Amos Trussell for his daughter Winona
and son-in-law Edward B. Jones when they
married. It was the first wedding celebrated in
early Sierra Madre.
The Trussells and the Jones had a change of
plans, sold to the Brugmans and moved away.
To enhance her new home, Alice Brugman and
her neighbor Mrs. W. B. Crisp, drove by horse
and buggy to the R. H. Wilson Pioneer Nursery
in Monrovia and for $.75 purchased a gallon
can of wistaria. It was the Chinese Wistaria
variety (Wisteria sinensis). She planted it in
a corner of her front porch remarking to her
neighbor: “They say Wistaria grows fast.” And
grow it did.
Mr. Brugman, a mining engineer, was in
Mexico when the vine was planted. He died
in 1899 and Mrs. Brugman sold the home
in 1906. The property changed hands until
it was purchased 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 building support trellises.
Although the Wistaria is a vigorous grower,
the added support of the trellises may have
contributed to this vine’s phenomenal growth.
The arbors prevented the end tendrils from
hanging down and causing the tender terminal
buds to die from the added weight. Wistaria
requires good drainage, certainly provided by
this hilly, terraced location. There may also be
an underground spring providing water to the
tap root.
The vine eventually destroyed the original
home, growing into the walls and fireplace and
causing the roof to collapse. Mr. Fennel built
a new home 200 feet to the north (the present
upper home) and trained the vine to grow up to,
but not covering the new residence. A portion of
the foundation of that original home was saved
to continue to provide support for the vine as its
branches extended such a distance.
When the vine was in bloom, the Fennels
would invite friends to come and enjoy the
blossoming plant. Visitors also came from
Pasadena’s main hotels: The Green, The
Huntington, and The Raymond. In 1918, the
Fennels opened the vine to the Sierra Madre
Chapter of the American Red Cross, which
sponsored a very successful fundraiser to help
the war effort. 12,000 people attended the
event. This was the beginning of many Wistaria
festivals that took place year after year. Sierra
Madre became known as the Wistaria City.
Many local organizations, including the Board
of Trade (now the Chamber of Commerce), the
Woman’s Club, the Masons and Eastern Star,
the Sierra Madre Volunteer Fire Dept., etc. were
involved.
Many homemade items, fancy work, ceramics,
artwork, gift books, and Wistaria fragranced
perfume, hand lotion and bath salts were sold
at booths under the vine. Luncheons and teas
were served, often with young Japanese women
wearing their kimonos.
The hard work and money earned at the vine
by the Woman’s Club paid off the mortgage of
their first clubhouse. One year the Fire Dept.
parked 30,000 cars on the parking lot that
existed in Floral Canyon. (This is now Sierra
Meadow Dr.). Easter sunrise services were
among vine activities. People came from all
over the world and extra street cars were added
to handle the crowds. Among the famous were
Fritz Kreisler, Janet Leigh, Mary Pickford, and
Norman Rockwell. These two helped select the
festival’s Wistaria Queen. Packard Automobile
Co. used the vine as a backdrop to advertise its
automobile.
On December 5, 1936, Carrie Ida Lawless
purchases the vine property (Continued on B2)
from Mrs. Fennel, who was now a widow, for
$17,000.00. December 5th was Mrs. Lawless’
birthday, and according to one account, she
was making a present to herself of the world’s
largest bouquet. Also a widow, her husband
William J (Bill) Lawless was mayor of Sierra
Madre during 1928-29. She, herself, was a
successful businesswoman having founded
the Weaver Jackson Beauty Co. in Los Angeles
and was active in the community, serving as
president of the Woman’s Club and the Garden
Club.
Mrs. Lawless spent a small fortune (around
$100,000) enhancing the grounds of her new
property and caring for the vine. When the
festivals were held they often lasted for the
weeks the vine was in bloom, not just for one
day. Mrs. Lawless, a patron of the arts, also
sponsored vine activities all year long.
She hosted art exhibits, musicales, and poetry
readings. Nearby residents objected to the
constant activity and
took their complaints
to the City Council.
Nothing was done as
Mrs. Lawless presented
the argument that the
vine existed before
these neighbors
purchased their
properties.
In recognition for
her contributions to
the community, the
Garden Club planted
another Wistaria in
the terraced garden on
the west side of what is
today the Solt’s garden.
It blooms a bit later
than the original vine
and the plaque commemorating the occasion is
gone.
When Mrs. Lawless died in 1942, she provided
for the vine by leaving a legacy to her nephew
and heir, Bruce McGill, to continue care of
the property with a committee headed by the
Garden Club President. In 1944, the property
was purchased by Richard and Marian Thayer.
Marian is the daughter of M. Penn Phillips,
a well-known developer of desert property.
In 1944 the vine was overgrown and in poor
condition. Richard Thayer planned to chop it
up and get rid of it. A protest was raised and
an association was formed to protect the vine,
with money provided to pay property taxes and
provide year-round care for the vine.
In 1961, after Richard Thayer died, the lot was
split. Marian married builder Ronald Cook
who developed the west side of the property
with homes and built the present Solt home for
he and Marian in1962. The upper home was
sold to Joseph and Marie Feeney who raised
eight children there. In 1972, Ron and Marian
sold the lower home to Bob and Nell Solt. In
the late 1990s, Joe Feeney died and Maria sold
the property. It was purchased in 2003 by the
present owners, Dan and Dana Dorrance.
By the 1970’s Vine Festival activity had about
ended. It started up again in the late 70’s when
sponsored for one day each year by the Chamber
of Commerce. The Sierra Madre Beautification
Committee was the yearly sponsor in the
1980’s. Approximately 500-600 people attended
the festival each year. In the spring of 1989,
Huell Howser came to film the vine for his
program Videolog, which aired on KCET. The
next year, approximately 6,000 people came
to view the vine. The festival organizers were
unprepared for such a turnout; lines stretched
for two blocks. Howser returned in 1992 to film
again for his California Gold program. Sierra
Madre and the Chamber of Commerce quickly
organized and combined the annual Vine
viewing with a downtown street fair. A shuttle
bus is provided, and people procure tickets to
see the vine at a pre-scheduled time.
The Guinness Book of World Records has
named the Vine the World’s largest flowering
plant. It is estimated that at the height of bloom
it has 1.5 million blossoms with 40 blossoms
per sq. ft., weighs 250 tons and has branches
that extend 500 feet. Wistaria is a member of
the pea family though its seeds resemble a flat
bean. Seed pods burst open in the summer.
The plant is deciduous, losing its leaves in
the winter. Wistaria seeds were brought from
China by Marco Polo in the 13th century.
Today, the vine covers approximately one
acre. Over the years, it has shown distress and
seemed to be dying. Experts have been brought
in from Cal Tech, Occidental, and Cal Poly
Pomona. Correct pruning, treatments with
hormones, and vitamin B have helped the vine
to recover and to flourish. To help maintain
the Vine’s health, records of vine growth and
care are now kept on a computer log. The Vine
seems to produce its greatest flowering after a
cold winter followed by a sudden hot spell.
What is the correct spelling for wisteria—
wisteria or wistaria? In the Sunset Western
Garden Book it is spelled wisteria. Sierra Madre
has always spelled it wistaria. According to L.
A. County Arboretum and Botanic Garden
senior biologist Jim Bauml and Librarian Joan
De Fato, the plant was named to honor Caspar
Wistar (1761-1818), an American physician
and teacher, who taught at the University of
Pennsylvania. Among his accomplishments,
he wrote the first text-book on anatomy. When
the name of the genus Wisteria was put into the
books, it was incorrectly spelled, says De Fato.
So, one could say that all along, Sierra Madre
has correctly spelled Wistaria!
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
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