Skip to main content

Woodland Drive

 JUNE 19, 2021

Back in the 1940s, my paternal grandparents rented a home in Sierra Madre, California located at 838 Woodland Drive.

Week 23: Bridges

While this residence holds little to no ancestral value to our family, it interests me because it’s seated in a very unique location.

For one, it’s the second to last home on a private lane leading up into the mountains, far removed from the hustle and bustle of the California highways and cities, giving it a quiet and serene feeling. Its street name of Woodland Drive makes perfect sense, as it feels as though you’ve stepped into the woodlands.

For another, it’s at the crest of the Angeles National Forest. Considering this side of the mountain burns up nearly every fire season, it’s amazing to me that this house has stood the test of time.

And most relevant to this week’s topic, it’s positioned in such a way that one needs to cross a bridge over a reservoir ditch in order to access the front door. It’s definitely unique to have your driveway also act as a bridge! I’d definitely be concerned about the road or the house washing away one day, and yet, that hasn’t ever happened to my knowledge, so I guess no reason to worry. But the reservoir dam ominously looms nearby!


Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular Posts

2024 52 Ancestors: Origins - Physical Traits

Ever wonder who you inherited your dashing good looks from, those cute dimples, or how about that thinning hair line and thick love handles?  This week, I'm exploring the origins of physical traits in my family tree. The first one that instantly comes to mind are my eyes. I know exactly who I got the color from versus the shape of them! Many babies' irises can be seen changing colors for their first six months or so. I was told my parents thought for sure I was going to inherit my dad's blue eyes, because they stayed that way even nearing the 2 year mark. However, they ended up turning hazel -- the color of my mom's eyes. (Left) Beatrice (Millhouse) Foltz; (Right) Kira Foltz Now, as for the shape of my eyeballs, I have my dad to thank for that! And I know this, because we have the same football-shaped stigmatism in each of our right eyes. Plus, a lazy eyelid over it, to boot! (Left) Gary Foltz; (Right) Kira Foltz My long lashes definitely came from my maternal side. But...
2 comments
Read more

2025 52 Ancestors: At the Library - First Outing to FamilySearch in Salt Lake City

Every genealogist should eventually make the trek out to SLC to visit the FamilySearch Library (formerly known as the Family History Library). It is open access and free to the public, like a city library, except it is wholly focused on genealogy research materials and managed by the company FamilySearch (founded by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints). Kira D. Foltz, photo of entrance to FamilySearch Library, Salt Lake City, UT, Mar 2025. One of the genealogy societies I belong to, Ventura County Genealogical Society ( VCGS ), makes an annual pilgrimage to the library on what they have termed the Salt Lake City Safari. I learned about their trip a couple years ago and felt I'd need to tag along when the schedule made sense for me. 2025 was the year! James McAleney, photo of VCGS Safari group at FamilySearch Library, Salt Lake City, UT, Mar 2025. Used with permission. A group of about 35 of us joined together in Utah for a week in March filled with family history resea...
2 comments
Read more

Patient Zero AKA The First Post

  All diseases start somewhere, and the genealogy bug is no exception. I’m Kira Dawn Foltz, and you can think of me as Patient Zero. I’m here to help spread this disorder to the masses (or at least through the branches of my own tree)! And what better way to start the infection, than a history in how I caught the illness. My origin story. The year was 1993. I was 8 years old and in the 4th grade at Calvary Baptist School in Gardena, California, where my father had also attended elementary school (later Calvary Christian Academy, and now home to CrossRoad SouthBay). Mrs. Henken was my teacher. She was also my piano tutor’s wife and a very sweet lady to boot. If only she could have spotted the symptoms back then, who knows in what condition I’d be today! Mrs. Henken assigned us an oral presentation about one of our ancestors. My dad helped me reach out to my Aunt Sandra, the family historian, for information on where we came from. I received a letter from her with a fabulous tale of ...
4 comments
Read more