This photo is a real early one! It was taken in 1888, when a group of around 30 passengers posed in front of Santa Fe Railway locomotive #13. They’re in the Arroyo Seco near Pasadena, which later became also the site of the Arroyo Seco Parkway, LA’s first freeway. It would have been a rough ride from Chicago back then, so I’m glad to see that most of them appear to be musicians. I hope they were able to provide some sort of entertainment.
Andie P. says: “I think the band was there to welcome the train arriving with some dignitaries aboard. They did that a lot in those days. Every town where the train stopped would welcome it with a band and often speeches. There are a number of books about travel “to the West” by train, where the authors describe their experiences.”
According to the internet, the population of Pasadena when it became a city in 1888 was under 500 (Los Angeles itself was under 50,000).
My guess is that the musicians have been sent for by some money-bags guys weary of the dreadful state of musical performance in California. The band is a probably a big name back East. I bet some of them didn’t get on the train back.
Wow, only 500 residents? That “village” level population numbers!
This was actually the California Central Railway in 1888, becoming part of the Southern California Railway shortly after via consolidating merger. The various components of the “Santa Fe Route” were not entirely pulled into a single company for several years, and only after losing some other parts due to the economic drawback after 1892. I would imagine that, given the curve and the hillside behind, this was the stop for the Raymond Hotel. Perhaps they had an engagement at this center of Victorian luxury beyond downtown mudville in the “Queen of the Cow Counties” (aka Los Angeles). Here’s a wiki on that railroad section: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/California_Central_Railway