Background
The new Metro Glendora station is located at the site of the original Los Angeles and San Gabriel Valley Railroad station, which first opened in May 1887—just a month after Glendora's founding. The arrival of this railway connected Glendora to broader markets, spurring growth and significantly contributing to the establishment and economic development of the city. [6] The presence of the station helped early Glendora weather the storm of the collapse of the Southern California real estate boom of the 1880s.
City founder George D. Whitcomb played a crucial role in bringing rail to Glendora, leveraging his connections with the railroad industry to successfully lobby for the rail line to run north of the South Hills, where it would better serve Glendora's newly established town center rather than the more southerly Charter Oak area. [7]
Between 1907 and 1951, Glendora was also served by the Pacific Electric Railway's Monrovia–Glendora Line, providing regular passenger service connecting downtown Glendora (now known as “The Village”) to the Pacific Electric Building at Sixth and Main in Downtown Los Angeles. [8] After the discontinuation of Pacific Electric passenger service on September 30, 1951, Glendora was without passenger rail service for over seven decades. [9] [10]
Original station (1887–1962)
The original Glendora station of the Los Angeles and San Gabriel Valley Railroad, later part of the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway, opened in May 1887. It became a critical factor in Glendora's early economic growth and community development. In the 1940s, the Victorian station was rebuilt in a Streamline Moderne architectural style (similar in appearance to the still-standing historic Azusa station), reflecting contemporary trends, including the decline of passenger service in favor of cargo shipments, including from Glendora's agriculture industry. However, by the mid 1950s, the need for freight also declined as Glendora's citrus groves gave way to new suburban housing developments. The original station was fully decommissioned and demolished in 1962. [11]
