In recognition of Women’s History Month, Alhambra’s historical heroines took center stage at Alhambra Historical Society’s (AHS) spring event on March 20, 2025.
Presenters included AHS board members Chris Olson, Joyce Amaro, and Anais Rallion, and AHS member Jocelyne Bravo. The four-part presentation focused on Alhambra’s early women influencers, entrepreneurs, artists, and leaders. A few of the highlights included stories about Edith Shorb, the daughter of Maria de Jesus and James deBarth Shorb who influenced her father to donate 15 acres to create the Ramona Secondary School; Harriet Charlson, the owner of the fourth McDonald’s ever built; Jessie Perry, a machinist responsible for designing and crafting more than 1,000 electrical fixtures between 1926 and 1930; and Norma Yocum, Alhambra’s first woman councilmember and mayor.
“There are so many female Alhambrans whose stories have been lost to history,” stated Chris Olson, President of the Alhambra Historical Society. “Women’s History Month provides us with the opportunity to shine a long deserved spotlight on a few of the women in Alhambra’s history who persisted and thrived in the face of challenges and obstacles.”
More than 50 people were in attendance at the evening event at the Alhambra Masonic Center. After the presentation, many attendees had questions about Jessie Perry, Alhambra’s electrical fixture manufacturer, as well as the methodology for researching these women. “Oftentimes, as we research one historical figure, another one will come to light. In the process of creating this presentation, we discovered three dynamic women (artist Laura Mitchell, machinist Jessie Perry, and physicist Beatrice Humason) whose stories had never been told,” stated Joyce Amaro, AHS Board Secretary. “We never know whose story we’ll discover when we’re at the museum. That’s what makes research so exciting!”
The Alhambra Historical Society’s museum is located at 1550 West Alhambra Road, Alhambra, CA 91801. The museum is open the first and third Saturdays of every month. Admission is free. If you would like to learn more about the Alhambra Historical Society, please visit alhambrahistoricalsociety.org.
