Cawston Ostrich Farm South Pasadena California Souvenir Matchsafe 1900c made by Whitehead & Hoag Company Rectangular, with rounded corners, featuring printed advertisement for Cawston Ostrich Farm. The front displays image of man in tan suit and black bowler hat sitting astride an ostrich, both facing left; below image is the inscription "Cawston Ostrich Farm," "South Pasadena, California." Reverse with image of six ostriches standing before or behind a shrub in an open field, with rail fence and trees in background. Lid hinged at side. Striker in recessed groove on bottom. Mediumnickel-plated metal, printed celluloid History: Believe it or not one of the the most popular attractions in Southern California was once a flock of ornery bipedal birds, located on a dusty nine-acre farm in South Pasadena! These ostriches were brought to California in 1886 by Edward Cawston, whose plan was to cash in on the popularity of ostrich feathers as fashion accessories by cutting out the middlemen and raising his own birds. Cawston soon realized that he could charge tourists and locals for ostrich cart rides while hawking lucrative ostrich memorabilia from the farm’s gift shop. He expanded his venture into boutiques in New York City, San Francisco, and downtown Los Angeles.  The farm became so popular that the Pacific Electric Railway built a Red Car trolley stop nearby to accommodate the flood of visitors headed up the Arroyo Seco to see Cawston’s birds. The farm closed in 1935. The Gold Line light rail train now follows the old Red Car line letting modern riders retrace the steps to one of Southern California’s first tourist attractions. A historical marker is located on Pasadena Ave. near Sycamore Ave. Edwin Cawston was fully aware of the role that his farm played in the development of South Pasadena and in November of 1903 he asserted that clout. Newspapers reported that there had been an ongoing effort to change the name of the city in order to distance itself with its much larger neighbor to the north, Pasadena. Cawston was opposed to this change and it was reported that he wrote a letter to city officials threatening to relocate his farm if officials changed the name of the city. He argued that people all over the United States and Europe knew that his farm was located in South Pasadena and, therefore, changing the name might adversely impact his business. Officials capitulated and the city retains its name to this day, ultimately because of Edwin Cawston. Dimensions 2 3/4" Height 1 1/2 " Length 3/8" Width Condition: Slight tarnish to metal, unresored. References: https://www.shelhamergroup.com/the-heart-of-south-pasadena/ A gross percentage of the sale of your purchase goes directly to support the California Conservation Corps. CCC is a life changing organization that helps develop job skills for California youth while preserving the State of California's natural resources.