Editing Sierra Madre, California (section)

===Early history===
In approximately 500 [[Common Era|CE]], [[Tongva people|Tongva Indians]],<ref>[http://tongva.com/ Gabrieleno/Tongva of San Gabriel<!-- Bot generated title -->] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20010923234724/http://tongva.com/ |date=September 23, 2001 }}</ref> the native people migrated from the [[Mojave, California|Mojave]] area to what would become [[Los Angeles County]] (including the [[San Gabriel Valley]]). Their name means "People of the Earth". Their primary language was Uto-Aztecan Shoshonean. In the 16th century, there were about 25 Tongva villages, with a population of approximately 400 people.<ref name="history">{{cite web|url=http://cityofsierramadre.com/departments/library/106-headline-history-of-sierra-madre|title=City of Sierra Madre: Headline History}}</ref> By 1769, the first Spanish settlers arrived in the region, finding an estimated 5,000 Tongva living in 31 villages. Sierra Madre was the site of a settlement named ''Sonayna''.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.lapl.org/collections-resources/visual-collections/kirkman-harriman-pictorial-and-historical-map-los-angeles|title=Kirkman-Harriman Pictorial and Historical Map {{!}} Los Angeles Public Library|website=www.lapl.org|language=en|access-date=November 24, 2017}}</ref> Two years later, [[Mission San Gabriel Arcangel]] was founded in present-day [[Montebello, California|Montebello]]. The mission was later moved to [[San Gabriel, California|San Gabriel]] because of severe flooding from the [[Rio Hondo (California)|Rio Hondo]] River, which ruined their crops. The original mission site is now marked by a [[California Historical Landmark]].<ref>{{cite web | title =Los Angeles | work =California Historical Landmarks  | publisher =California Department of Parks & Recreation Office of Historic Preservation | year =2004 | url =http://ohp.parks.ca.gov/default.asp?page_id=21427 | access-date =July 30, 2007}}</ref> Tongvas were integrated into the culture of the mission, and the tribe were renamed [[Gabrielino Indians]] by the Spaniards.<ref name="history"/> The first Mount Wilson trail was carved by the Gabrielino Indians, who used it when they carried timber down from the mountains for the construction of the San Gabriel Mission in 1771.<ref name="autogenerated1">{{cite web|url=http://www.sierramadrenews.net/?page_id=331|title=Trail Race – Sierra Madre News Net}}</ref>

Using Mexican and Chinese laborers, [[Benjamin Davis Wilson|Benjamin "Don Benito" Wilson]] expanded the [[Mount Wilson (California)|Mount Wilson]] Trail in 1864.<ref name="autogenerated1" /> Nathaniel Carter purchased the original {{convert|1103|acre|km2}} that comprise Sierra Madre in 1881: {{convert|845|acre|km2}} from "[[Lucky Baldwin]]", {{convert|108|acre|km2}} from the [[Southern Pacific Railroad]] Company, and {{convert|150|acre|km2}} from John Richardson (1811–August 9, 1884).<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.smhps.org/archivedpdfs/2016_summer.pdf|title=Sierra Madre Historical Preservation Society, September 2016 Newsletter}}</ref> In 1888, the [[Santa Anita, California|Santa Anita]] railroad station was built.<ref name="history"/> The first of the year brought [[Pacific Electric Railway]] Red Car passenger service to Sierra Madre. Later that year the first electric lights were installed by the Edison Electric Company. In December 1906, the first telephones were installed (250 of them) by the Home Telephone Company of Monrovia.<ref name="history"/>

On February 2, 1907, the first citywide election was held and 96 citizens voted 71–25 to officially incorporate Sierra Madre; the population was about 500. In February 1907, eighteen days after the election, Sierra Madre became incorporated as a California city. Charles Worthington Jones was the first mayor.<ref name="history"/>
[[File:Sierra Madre Villa Hotel-1884.jpg|thumb|left|250px|The Sierra Madre Villa Hotel, 1884]]