Hidden Pasadena Podcast Unearths City’s Forgotten Stories

Western Edition host William Deverell identifying the location of the Simons brickyard in Pasadena on a historic map at the Pasadena Museum of History. Courtesy of Huntington-USC Institute on California and the West. © The Huntington

Anti-communist meeting in Southern California, 1961. Courtesy of USC Digital Library. © USC

A.C. Vromans bookstore, 469 East Colorado, Pasadena. 1937. Harold A. Parker, photographer. Courtesy of The Huntington Library, San Marino, Calif. © The Huntington

The exterior of the Japanese Heritage Sh?ya House. Courtesy of The Huntington Library, Art Museum, and Botanical Gardens. © The Huntington

Jason and Owen Brown at their log cabin in the Sierra Madre mountains, ca. 1890. Courtesy of USC Digital Libraries. © USC

Parade floats, Tournament of Roses, Pasadena, CA, 1933. Courtesy of USC Digital Libraries.

Owen Brown gravesite, 2024. Courtesy of Huntington-USC Institute on California and the West. © The Huntington

Western Edition host William Deverell at the Owen Brown gravesite, 2024. Courtesy of Huntington-USC Institute on California and the West. © The Huntington

Western Edition podcast team recording onsite at the Owen Brown gravesite, 2024. Courtesy of Huntington-USC Institute on California and the West. © The Huntington

The Huntington-USC Institute on California and the West is launching the fourth season of its Western Edition podcast, titled “Hidden Pasadena.”

The series began airing on Sept. 3 and delves into the lesser-known historical narratives of Pasadena, contrasting with its well-known history.

“We wanted to do something very local, and we knew there were many, many, many stories to choose from,” said Professor William Deverell, historian and director of the Institute.

The podcast offers listeners a deeper understanding of Pasadena’s rich and complex past, beyond its famous Rose Parade, JPL (the Jet Propulsion Laboratory), and Caltech (the California Institute of Technology).

“We wanted people to understand how rich the history is and how complex the history is of our region right here,” Deverell said.

The six-episode series covers various aspects of Pasadena’s hidden history, including Simons Brickyard, St. Barnabas and All Saints churches, the John Birch Society, and Vroman’s Bookstore.

Other topics include Shoya House and John Brown’s children, exploring narratives often overlooked in mainstream historical accounts.

The podcast will release new episodes weekly on Tuesdays, available on all major podcast platforms.

Produced by a team including audio journalist Avishay Artsy and Cal State Northridge Professor Jessica Kim, the series builds on previous seasons launched in Fall 2021. Previous topics covered include wildfires in the Western U.S., L.A.’s Chinatown, and sites of memorialization across the American West.

“I think it adds to the awareness of how complicated the history of our own city is,” Deverell said of the podcast’s potential impact. He added that the series “lends a more human portrait to those who came before us” and can instill pride in Pasadena’s fascinating history.

The production team conducts on-site interviews and engages with local residents, incorporating diverse perspectives into the historical narratives presented in each episode.

“We like the notion of adding historical imagination to contemporary visions of the future,” Deverell said.

By unearthing these hidden stories, the Western Edition podcast aims to contribute to a more comprehensive understanding of Pasadena’s cultural heritage and its historical significance.

The series also seeks to demonstrate how past events continue to influence contemporary society and urban development in Southern California and beyond.

To explore Pasadena’s lesser-known historical narratives, visit https://dornsife.usc.edu/icw/season-4-hidden-pasadena/.