Alhambra

Known as the Gateway to the San Gabriel Valley, the land that would eventually become Alhambra was bought by pioneer Benjamin D. Wilson after he decided to abandon a trip to China in 1841. In 1873, the Southern Pacific Railroad built a line directly through the area and brought with it many settlers, ushering in the Boom of the 1880s. The community struggled through the 1890s as the boom went bust, but the residents looked ahead to the 20th century with great optimism. Their enthusiasm paid...