Editing Sierra Madre, California (section)

====1920s and 1930s====
In 1921, a disastrous bakery fire at Windsor Lane and Montecito Court prompted the official organization of the Sierra Madre Volunteer Fire Department. Sierra Madre had the last remaining [[volunteer fire department]] in [[Greater Los Angeles area|greater Los Angeles]] before transitioning to a paid department in 2017.

On January 1, 1922, Bethany Temple was dedicated. The now historic domed cobblestone church was designed and built by the nearly blind Louis D. Corneulle. The new [[Old North Church (Sierra Madre, California)|Congregational Church structure]] was completed on Sierra Madre Ave; the Romanesque Revival building was designed by Marsh, Smith, & Powell. In July 1927, the Sierra Madre Kiwanis Club was formed. On April 21, 1931, the first meeting of the Sierra Madre Historical Society took place, in conjunction with the city's 50th anniversary celebration.<ref name="history"/> In 1936, a city ordinance officially changed the name of Central Avenue to Sierra Madre Blvd.<ref name="history"/>  In March 1938, a disastrous storm and the resulting flood destroyed many resorts in the local mountains, and also ravaged the (John) Muir Lodge in Big [[Santa Anita Canyon]] above Sierra Madre. No trace remains of it today.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://angeles.sierraclub.org/about/MuirLodge.asp |title=About Us: Muir Lodge &#91;Angeles Chapter Sierra Club&#93; |access-date=October 9, 2007 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080515153942/http://angeles.sierraclub.org/about/MuirLodge.asp |archive-date=May 15, 2008 }}</ref> In 1940, the city purchased {{convert|760|acre|km2}} of land in the San Gabriel Mountains near Orchard Camp to avoid contamination of the water supply.<ref name="history"/>

A six-week Wisteria event took place in the 1930s. The crowds that traveled to see the giant Wisteria vine were estimated at over 100,000. With so many visitors, extra "Red Cars" were put on the Pacific Electric route to Sierra Madre.<ref name=autogenerated2>{{cite web|url=http://www.sierramadrenews.net/?page_id=259|title=Wistaria Festival – Sierra Madre News Net}}</ref>