For many years running the Lamanda Park American Legion Post sponsored a turkey shoot. This article appeared in the November 19, 1927 Pasadena Post announcing that year’s Thanksgiving turkey shoot. We’ll get to the turkey shoot in a moment.
But, first, where to hold a turkey shoot in east Pasadena? In 1927, it wasn’t much of a problem. There were a lot of choices. This shoot was held in an open area east of Rosemead Blvd. between Foothill (then Route 66) and the future extension of Colorado Street.
The area was known as the Colorado Extension Park. The article gave directions: “You can reach the park by driving out Colorado street to its present terminus. Then, go north on Rosemead. Alternatively, drive out Foothill Boulevard to Rosemead Avenue.” The site was described as “ideally suited” to a turkey shoot under the oaks.
So the turkey shoot was basically at the end of the line as far as Colorado Street was concerned. Hard to imagine that Colorado once dead ended into Rosemead. But that’s how it was.
The map above from the February 28, 1931 Pasadena Post ran the day Colorado was extended past Rosemead Blvd. eastward into Arcadia. That day’s paper also included ads for Arcadia businesses now easily reachable over the Colorado extension. Additionally, there were ads for the sale of new home sites in the newly opened lands east of Rosemead.
Back to the turkey shoot. This post started with some good memories as a boy going with my dad to turkey shoots. I searched google for turkey shoots around here but did not see any. Where are the turkey shoots?
Apparently, they are still popular in small and rural towns. While turkey shoots have different formats, they are basically shooting contests held around the holidays. The winners take home a turkey or ham. They are typically community fund raising events supporting a local cause.
In 1929 the Lamanda Park American Legion moved its turkey shoot to the police range in Eaton Canyon. The advertisement above ran in the Pasadena Post announcing the shoot. The Post later reported that 1,500 people attended the event which featured an array of shooting contests with stationary and moving targets. There was a shooting contest between the Lamanda Park American Legion and Pasadena Police Department and a special shooting exhibition by motorcycle officer Upshaw.
Thanksgiving 2024
Certainly there are eras in which 100 years makes little difference and I suppose there are places today which look the same as they looked a century ago. Not so over much of southern California.
A century ago, this was the outskirts of town. A perfect site for an American Legion turkey shoot. Today, the busy intersection at Foothill and Rosemead will get you to about any store you want. You can get your turkeys at Whole Foods or Ralphs. Instead of coffee courtesy of the American Legion auxiliary, you can go to Starbucks.
A hundred years ago the Colorado street extension was a big deal. But, eventually much of the area covered by the Colorado Extension Park would be cleared for an even bigger road — namely Interstate 210, the Foothill Freeway. The freeway would consume the better part of the Colorado Extension Park land between Foothill and Colorado.
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Yesterday, Thanksgiving Day, I took an early morning walk around the neighborhood. It is relatively quiet in the morning and I notice the sounds. Some are sounds that would not have been heard here 100 years ago. As I walked, I heard the constant low hum of the 210 freeway. I heard the occasional helicopter passing through. And I heard birds. I heard parrots:
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