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One woman and twenty men threw their hats in the ring as candidates for San Dimas’ first City Council in 1960. As the town voted on incorporation, we also voted for five people to lead us. There was a Founders’ Committee, working to get us to incorporate, and also a committee calling itself Citizens for San Dimas, working against incorporation. The Candidates took out petitions, had them signed, filed them, then waited for the election. There were no posters stapled to telephone poles, or planted in front yards, no expensive newspaper or television ads. Most of the campaigning was done over coffee at Roady’s, or on the sidewalks downtown. The weekly San Dimas Press published every candidate’s photo with a brief article, as a public service. (There was no pay for the positions - as opposed to the present, when Council Members and the Mayor are paid $400 per month.) The five candidates receiving the highest number of votes would constitute the First Council, and would elect the Mayor from among themselves -- if the majority of voters approved incorporation. On Tuesday, June 28, 1960, 65% of the eligible voters turned out. Of the 1,546 ballots cast, 847 wanted the town incorporated, and 699 were against it. The five men who were seated on the City Council were (in the order of votes received), Stanley Plummer, San Dimas Lumber Co. owner and Chairman of the Founders’ Committee; Ted Glauthier, San Dimas Cleaner’s owner; G. Francis Harbin, model train distributor; Lloyd Rouse, San Dimas Grain Co. owner; and Harry Whipple, rancher. Both Rouse and Whipple opposed incorporation. The other candidates were August Kniff, Lela Ann Hathaway, David Rees, Al Preszler, Harold Peeples, John Norton, Thomas Anderson, Pilar Vera, Dr. Kenneth Wiley, Clyde Deighton, Tony Cianflone, Len Hazen, LaVere Flora, John Jenkins, William Patterson, and Joseph Gatti. |
The City of San Dimas, population 7,500, approximately five square miles, began officially functioning August 4, 1960. Stanley Plummer was Mayor; Ted Glauthier, Mayor pro tem; and Franz Harbin, City Clerk. John Larson was hired as City Attorney. Lela Hathaway was appointed City Treasurer, and Mrs. Patricia Gore was Deputy City Clerk. The first Planning Commissioners were Joe Bauer, Carl Faivre, Frederick Kennedy, Mrs. Clarice Marchant, and Robert Williams. The new City, 70th in Los Angeles County, opened for business in a little house on N. Exchange Place, which was Formerly Dr. Thomason’s office. Soon the move was made to the Sunday School rooms of the Pilgrim Holiness Church at 147 N. Monte Vista. The City contracted for Fire, Police, and other services with the County of Los Angeles. There had been previous efforts to incorporate. As early as 1912, the Board of Trade had appointed a committee to study the matter. After it was discussed for more than a year, the matter was quietly dropped. The members could not agree on anything except that the Board should deal primarily with business, not politics. Most residents were fairly happy with the County Board of Supervisors and feared that incorporation would bring higher taxes. However, in the late 1950’s, when Glendora annexed property at the comer of Gladstone and Lone Hill - La Verne came over to San Dimas Canyon Road - and Covina showed signs of biting off another large chunk to the west - sentiment changed and incorporation was finally accepted. At the first anniversary, a City Birthday Barbecue was held at San Dimas Canyon Park, complete with tiered birthday cake. This has been continued, although it is now held at the Civic Center, and Councilmen’s wives are no longer drafted to do all the cutting and serving of the cake. |