The Annals

The Annals, a collection of memories written by our original settlers, was first published in 1950 and has long been out of print. The Sierra Madre Historical Preservation Society’s goal in republishing this book was to make these delightful memory stories, which cover the time period from our very beginnings to the 1940s, available to newer generations. For that reason, the price of the book (just $20 at most locations) is several dollars less than its actual production cost, thanks to the generosity of anonymous donors.

The settlers had a grand adventure creating a new town – our town! – and their pride and enthusiasm shine through. It’s a really fun read! You get a feel for what it was like when Sierra Madre was mostly open land, when there were quail, and even an infestation of locusts, when neighbors helped neighbors and everyone pulled together to realize their dreams in their new paradise.

There were plots and streets to be laid out, crops to be planted, churches and shops and a library to be built, social organizations and a government to start up, and for fun, plays and musicals to be put on, dances to be held!

Historian Michele Zack (author of our town's Centennial book; Southern California Story) notes that The Annals was Sierra Madre’s first history, and credits it with a change in people’s attitudes from the post-war “out with the old!” to a more backward-looking eye for preserving its small-town character and wonderful old buildings. 

Now Available At These Fine Locations:

Arnold’s Frontier Hardware,
Collective Co-op (next to Monsieur Crepe),
E. Waldo Ward, Lizzie’s Trail Inn Museum,
Pax Pharmacy, Savor the Flavor,
Sierra Madre Library

Southern California Story

Michele Zack Author & Historian

Winner of national awards

• American Association for State and Local History Leadership in History Award of Merit; this is the nation’s most prestigious competition for recognition of achievement in state and local history

• American Design Award

"In Southern California Story: Seeking the Better Life in Sierra Madre,
Michele Zack again delivers urban history at its best. As with Altadena, she pays her subject the tribute of extensive research and lively narrative. Whether it be people, politics, water, the environment, or social and racial issues, Zack places Sierra Madre’s story in a regional and national context—so that this history encompasses the range and richness of Southern California for those seeking a better life.
Here is a regional history that offers us real insight into American life." Dr. Kevin Starr, author of the California Dream series

"Magnificently illustrated with photographs, maps, and works of art, this book will please all who love Southern California and its environment. Michele Zack, local historian, fills her history of Sierra Madre with fascinating information while also showing how it relates to larger historical developments." Daniel Walker Howe, 2008 Pulitzer Prize-winning author of What Hath God Wrought: The Transformation of America, 1815-1848.