The founders of our community

Theodor Pickens is thought to be the first white settler in the Crescenta Cañada Valley. He arrived about 1871 and settled Pickens Canyon. He was a farmer and an apiarist The water from his canyon supplied many of the early residents. His nickname was “Daddy Pickens” or “Dad”.

Jacob Lanterman, a dentist from Michigan, came West as a ‘Healthseeker’ to seek clean, dry air for his chronic bronchitis. He purchased the 5,832 acres of Rancho La Cañada, along with his partner Colonel A.W. Williams. He built a house called ‘Homewood’ in 1876, which is still standing on Verdugo Boulevard.

Ammoretta Jane Crissman married Jacob Lanterman in 1856 in Michigan. She and her three children joined Jacob Lanterman in the rural La Cañada Valley in the 1870s. She ensured the success of the family ranch with her purchase of water rights from Theodor Pickens in 1878.

Civil War veteran Colonel Adolphus W. Williams (1830-1875), his wife Mary and two of their five children. The family came from Lansing, Michigan in 1875 in search of a better climate for Colonel Williams’ poor health. Along with partner Jacob Lanterman, Williams purchased all of Rancho La Cañada. He died soon after and his share of the property was divided between his wife and children.

Tom Hall was about 12 years old when his father, Civil War veteran Colonel Thomas S. Hall (1826-1898), established a ranch here in 1874 in what is approximately Alta-Canyada.

Photo by Charles Pate, image property of La Cañada Congregational Church (Pate 47).

Ralph Moses came to Southern California from San Francisco in 1885 as a Health Seeker. After working as a share-crop farmer for several years, he purchased 10 acres of land in La Cañada and planted oranges and grapes. He was the Zanjero or water master, controlling the flow of water from the Pickens Canyon to the various land owners in the valley. Six days a week he patrolled the valley making sure that each shareholder in the water company received their proper allotment.

Frank Flint served one term in the U.S. Senate from 1905 to 1911, representing California. He was the developer of Flintridge, a fashionable surburban community in the San Rafael foothills.