Alhambra city feature
About this landmark
The city's history, preserved in photographs and archives
The Alhambra Historical Society Museum is housed in an eleven-room building at 1550 West Alhambra Road, at the corner of Bushnell Avenue. The Alhambra Historical Society, Inc., a nonprofit archival and educational organization established in 1966, operates the museum to encourage research and study of history and its relationship to the population and development of Alhambra and the San Gabriel Valley.
The city's founding and early growth
The City of Alhambra was officially incorporated on July 11, 1903, with Newton W. Thompson as its first mayor, and became a chartered city in 1915. The community began when Benjamin "Don Benito" Wilson donated 300 acres from his landholdings, which were subdivided into the residential lots that became the townsite. The city's name was chosen in 1874 when members of the Wilson family, reading Washington Irving's book, suggested "Alhambra" as the name for the community.
The San Gabriel Valley, where Alhambra sits, was the ancestral home of the Tongva, Kizh/Kitc, and Gabrielino peoples. Later immigration waves shaped the community: Italians arrived in the 1950s, Mexican immigrants came in the 1960s, and Asian immigration occurred in the 1980s, with commercial development along Valley Boulevard reflecting these communities. The Ramona Convent, built in 1889 after James de Barth Shorb donated 15 acres, continues in use as a private girls' school. Garfield School, built in 1887 at Garfield and Alhambra Road, was Alhambra's first dedicated schoolhouse, constructed following passage of a school bond.
Visiting the museum today
The museum is open from 1:00 to 4:00 p.m. on the first and third Saturdays of every month, or by appointment. Admission is free. The collection includes more than 400 envelopes of photographs dating from as early as 1880, Alhambra telephone directories from 1882 to 2011, Polk city directories from 1905 to 1964, Alhambra High School yearbooks beginning in 1912, and archived issues of the Alhambra Post Advocate newspaper. Contact the museum at (626) 300-8845 or [email protected].
The society's website includes sections on the museum, membership, Alhambra neighborhoods and architecture, and the "Story House" historical feature. The collection spans more than 130 years of the city's development, from 1880 through the early 21st century. The museum serves as a vital resource for researchers, students, and community members seeking to understand local history and the lives of those who built and shaped Alhambra and the San Gabriel Valley.
Insurance connection: Homeowners protection
Homeowners policies cover the cost to replace the dwelling (distinct from property market value) and personal property (typically 50% of dwelling limit). However, standard policies exclude flood, earthquake, and mold. According to California's homeowners insurance guide, insurers must offer earthquake coverage separately. After 60 days in effect, an insurer may only cancel for nonpayment, fraud, misrepresentation, or hazard increase (with 20+ days' notice). Unless the policy includes ordinance-or-law coverage, the insurer will not pay extra rebuilding costs to meet current codes. Coverage details and eligibility limits depend on your individual policy. The issued policy controls.
Primary sources: City of Alhambra museum page, Alhambra Historical Society history page, and City of Alhambra history.
Insurance context is general information only. The issued policy and its endorsements settle coverage.