A Dawn in the West

A Dawn In The West is a bronze statue in Arcadia, California, that depicts Elias J. “Lucky” Baldwin (1828–1909), a pioneer California rancher, businessman and the founder and first mayor of Arcadia. The statue was commissioned by two direct descendants of Baldwin: Margaux Viera and Heather Gibson, both of California.

The 9-foot bronze figure of Baldwin stands on a 4-foot plinth set in the Monsignor Gerald M. O’Keefe Rose Garden at the intersection of Huntington Drive and Holly Avenue, near Gate 3, the south entrance of Santa Anita Park race track. It was dedicated in a ceremony on April 16, 2013.^[1]

The statue was created by artist Alfred Paredes at his AP Sculpture Studios, Pomona, California.

The Artist

Paredes, a native of El Monte, California, is a sculptor and creator of fine art portraits, models and collectibles used in the toy and entertainment industries. His work has appeared at venues including Grand Central Terminal, New York; the War of 1812 Bicentennial exhibition at Niagara Falls, Ontario; and in numerous television and Hollywood productions.

Symbolism

“A Dawn In The West” depicts Baldwin about the age of 80 as he surveys the site of his home and ranch located nearby. The figure is positioned so it looks west and somewhat to the north, directly at the home that Baldwin occupied at the time. The home, known as the Hugo Reid Adobe, is preserved at the Los Angeles County Arboretum and Botanic Garden.^[2] The Arboretum includes the central portion of Baldwin’s Rancho Santa Anita, which he bought in 1875 from Harris Newmark. He eventually died at the ranch.

The base of the statue is on which the figure stands is formed to signify Baldwin's role in California's transition from an untamed wildnerness to a modern civilization.^[3]

Subject

Baldwin, a native of Butler County, Ohio, traveled by covered wagon to San Francisco in 1853. He worked there as a real estate developer, livery owner and brick manufacturer.

He made a substantial fortune after the American Civil War in the Nevada Comstock Lode mining bonanza and used his profits to build a luxury hotel and theater in San Francisco at Powell and Market Streets, which he opened in 1877 (burned down 1898). He was a leading member of San Francisco’s powerful and influential business community at the time and in 1875 he was elected the first president of the Pacific Stock Exchange.

Baldwin also became a nationally known breeder whose horses won most of the big races at the time including the most important, the American Derby, three times between 1885 and 1888. His ranch and farm land produced grains, citrus fruit and grapes that were used in award-winning wines, brandies and champagnes.^[4]

Baldwin owned thousands of acres in Los Angeles County, including Rancho La Cienega, where oil fields were later developed that continue to produce petroleum to this day. His landholdings including what is now the community of Baldwin Hills and the cities of Baldwin Park and Sierra Madre.^[5]

References