This illustration of "Piedra Gorda" by Austrian Archduke Ludwig Louis Salvator appeared in his travel memoir “Flowers from the Golden Land” which was translated and published by the Auto Club of Southern California.

The earliest known photograph of the Eagle Rock 1888. (ERVHS)

The story of the photograph's travels is shown on the back. (ERVHS)

The earliest known photograph of the valley of the rock Circa 1895. The dirt road is now Figueroa Street. In the distance is the Stewart ranch house and a row of tents, perhaps health seekers hear for the beneficial climate. (Los Angeles County Museum)

A closer view of the Eagle Rock canyon. (ERVHS)

E.A Cohen’s hand colored photograph of the rock taken July 30, 1909. (E.A. Cohen-ERVHS)

Pioneering bird expert, Helen Pratt visits the rock in 1909. (ERVHS)

The “W” car trolley line was extended into the canyon in 1910 to transport materials for the Pacific Power and Light receiving station. Southern California Edison now owns the station. (ERVHS-Danny Howard Collection)

An Easter sunrise service was held at the rock for several years after 1917. Featured in this service were Madam Balfour and Harold Protector. (ERVHS)

This rustic bridge crossed the stream in Huntington’s park below the Eagle Rock. Visible on the left above center is the bridge that led from Eagle Rock to Pasadena. This was the easiest crossing of the highly variable stream seen in the foreground. The stream still flows in the open through the MWD land, under the dump road and behind the commercial buildings on the east side of Figueroa St just below the 134 Freeway exit bridge. (ERVHS)

The area around the rock and extending to where La Loma Road is now, was developed into a resort destination by Henry Huntington to spur use of the trolley connection. Many beautiful postcards date from this era. (ERVHS)

Picnicking under the sycamores in Huntington's park. (Stargel collection)

This map shows the street configuration in the 20's and 30's and the extent of the park. Much of this area is now Edison's power line right-of-way. (ERVHS)

This postcard shows the bridge built to further the connection of the San Fernando Valley through Eagle rock to the San Gabriel Valley via State Highway 134. The route ran up what is now Eagle Vista Avenue and crosser the valley about where the freeway crosses now. The Arroyo Seco Bridge completed this connection in 1913. (ERVHS)

The Rock as proving ground. Unfortunately the technology was unavailable to test the car on the moon. (LAH-CDNC)

GIRL PERFORMS NOTABLE FEAT The first woman to attempt to drive an automobile up the dangerously steep sides of Eagle Rock to the summit is Miss Merle Smith of Dallas. Texas. Miss Smith daringly guided a Saxon Six to within 15 feet of the top of the lofty landmark, and only failed to reach her goal because the terrific grade of slippery limestone offered absolutely no traction. Every attempt to make the wheels of the Saxon take hold from there up proved futile. Those who ridicule the woman who drives her car may sit up and take notice, for Eagle Rock has foiled a lot of men. And when Miss Smith was handling the car on the side of a cliff which was nearly straight up and slanted sideways about 30 degrees in addition, no man who was watching was particularly anxious to trade places with her. The approach to the rock, which can only be climbed in an automobile from the rear, was no simple drive. It was necessary to plow uphill through high brush which became very slippery when pushed down by the front wheels. Steering was almost an impossibility, but. after considerable maneuvering, Miss Smith got the car up to the rock. Then came the real test. Where the rock began there was a sharp edge which threatened to break the car in two. Sand bags were brought into play, and piled on either side. Beyond the bags was an abrupt sloping turn to the right. To get over the sand bags one had to go with a jump. And if one went too far beyond the bags it meant a Saxon over the cliff to the road, two hundred and fifty feet below. No one urged the dare-devil girl to attempt to go on, but she did go on, and kept going until within 15 feet of the top of the cliff was reached. Getting the car down again was another story. Just an hour was required to get the car back to the slope of the bill in one piece. Inch by inch and foot-by-foot the Saxon was blocked down, for to let the car get away a second would have meant an accident. When level ground was reached at last, all, especially the owner of the car, breathed easier, of course. Merle Smith never worried, for she is nervy and skillful at the wheel—a regular driver. Most of all, she had confidence in the car.

On the route to Pasadena in their 1926 Nash, these women stop to enjoy the view. Colorado Boulevard winds behind them, past the intersection with Annandale Boulevard (now Figueroa), seen at the edge of the door, across the bridge and up the hill heading for the Annandale Country Club, Sternberger’s Restaurant, and the Colorado Street Bridge. (University of Southern California Library, California Historical Society Collection)

Ersatz 'Indian' actors pose on the Eagle Rock on a movie shoot around 1920. The scale of the caves on the rock’s side is evident. (Marc Wanamaker-Bison Archives)

Traffic was heavy on the road to Pasadena, probably on opening day of the Arroyo Seco Bridge. Traffic from Highland Park enters from middle left and Eagle Rock on middle right. They are heading across the bridge to Pasadena lower left. (ERVHS)

This frolic with the rock in the distance may have been taken by Howard arden Edwards a local artist and designer. (unknown-ERVHS)

Eagle Rock contributed to the citywide events of the 1932 Olympics with an outdoor play performed below the rock. (“La PALOMA” brochure, ERVHS)

The play depicted a version of the colonial history of the region. It was locally written and produced and many community members participated. (“La PALOMA” brochure, ERVHS)

An elaborate resort area and hotel were proposed below the rock by “Capitalist” Alonzo C. Mather in 1933. Although the concept was locally applauded, the times prevented progress on the project. (Eagle Rock Chamber of Commerce brochure-ERVHS)

In 1938 a major addition to the infrastructure in the canyon was the Metropolitan Water District pipeline from the Colorado River delivering water to the Los Angeles area. The 55” pipeline shown proceeds down Figueroa Street, under the Community garden in the former trolley right of way and thence to Palos Verdes. Another branch flows under Scholl Canyon to Santa Monica. Los Angeles’ share of the water was tapped in the 1950’s via the Eagle Rock Reservoir and a pipeline under Colorado Boulevard to the Silver Lake Reservoir. (Metropolitan Water District)

In 1961 the road through the canyon was built to deliver trash to the new Scholl Canyon Dump in Glendale. The County forced the road on Eagle Rock because Glendale, although it wanted the dump, was unwilling to connect it via Glenoaks Canyon, within its borders. The Dump was supposed to close in seventeen years. (Joe Friezer-Occidental College Library Special Collections & College Archives-Friezer Collection)

Feeling that the rock was in danger, the community rallied and was rewarded by designation as Los Angeles City Historic Cultural Monument #10 in 1962. Alice Dirks Moore was a leader in this campaign. (probably Joe Friezer photograph-Eagle Rock Sentinel)

The Eagle Rock High School Jazz Band celebrated the designation of the rock in the mid 1960’s with a series of note-cards. The 134 freeway had been completed, at left, discharging into Colorado Boulevard. Eagle Vista Avenue is in the foreground. (ERHS Jazz Band-ERVHS)

A proposal by developer Kenneth Bank in 1987 to build condominiums on a site between the rock and the 134 off-ramp stimulated considerable local opposition. As the rock was privately owned, development could not be easily prevented. A movement to “Save the Rock” was re-energized. (probably Joe Friezer photograph-Eagle Rock Sentinel)

This support sticker was widely distributed and many local organizations participated enthusiastically in the fundraising efforts. (ERVHS)

The rock was finally purchased from owner/developer Fredric A. Heim by the City of Los Angeles in 1995 for $699,000. Funds raised by the community were saved and used later for a down payment on the Eagle Rock Canyon trail by the Collaborative Eagle Rock Beautiful. (Summit Niche)

This photograph depicts the current road configuration in front of the rock. The 134 Freeway off-ramp is in the foreground. Figueroa Street runs to the dump road at left. In the middle distance is the 134 Freeway, which was constructed in 1970. The Edison Company power lines are carried on the monopoles, center. The rock and surrounding hills are at left. (ERVHS)

Angie Alatorre; Eagle Rock Field Deputy, Ruby de Vera; 14th District Councilmember Richard Alatorre, holding Melinda Ramos; and Highland Park Field Deputy Juanita Martinez, hosted the dedication ceremony at the base of the Rock in 1996. Finally the icon for which the community was named was publicly owned and would be preserved from inappropriate development. After the ceremony, a community fair, car show and concert were held at the recreation center. (John Miller Photograph-ERVHS)

In 1996 the Eagle Rock High school cheerleaders Peggy Vadillo, Desirae Ortiz, Ivy Donaldson, and Elizabeth Cordero graced a day long celebration of the dedication of the Eagle Rock as a park. (John Miller Photograph-ERVHS)

The map shows the current road configuration around the rock. The valley of the rock has been gradually used for public infrastructure and private development. (ERVHS)

John Stillion, right, heard by chance that the four acres north of the rock were for sale. The Collaborative Eagle Rock Beautiful, using funds raised by the community to “Save the Rock”, was able to make a down payment toward the purchase of the land. Master trail builder Peter Schaller, left, volunteered to supervise construction of a trail to the top of the plot. The nearly one mile loop trail was completed in 2008 and is now open to the public. (Photograph by Harry Chamberlain)