Pasadena Heritage: Oral History Project
Pasadena Heritage was founded in 1977 through the grassroots activism of concerned citizens who were witnessing the loss of Pasadena’s unique architectural character. What began as a community effort to save historic places continues today through our work to identify, preserve, and protect Pasadena’s historic architectural, arts and cultural resources through advocacy and education. We believe that understanding the past helps us better appreciate and steward the places we live today. By preserving historic buildings, cultural resources, and community stories, we help ensure that Pasadena’s history remains a visible and meaningful part of our community’s future.
The Oral History Project preserves the stories that bring history to life. While buildings, photographs, and documents help us understand the past, it is people’s memories and experiences that give those places meaning. By recording personal stories, we create a living archive of Pasadena’s history, one that helps us better understand not only where we have been, but how the past continues to influence the present. History does not end with an era. We are all continuations of the past, carrying forward the stories and memories of those who came before us. The Oral History Project ensures that these voices are preserved for future generations, creating a richer and more complete record of our shared history.
Don Fedde is a Pasadena businessman, civic leader, and former head of Fedde Furniture, a family-owned furniture store that has operated on Colorado Boulevard, historic Route 66, since 1937. Having led the business for decades, Fedde offers a unique perspective on the changing character of Pasadena, the evolution of Route 66, and the role that long-standing local businesses have played in shaping the community.
Fred Hill is the owner of The Original Whistle Stop, a beloved Pasadena business that has been part of Colorado Boulevard and historic Route 66 since 1951. A lifelong model train enthusiast, Hill first visited the store as a young man before eventually becoming its owner. For decades, he has helped preserve not only the business itself but also its iconic neon sign, a familiar landmark along the famous Mother Road. Through his experiences at The Original Whistle Stop, Hill shares a firsthand perspective on the changing character of Route 66, the challenges and rewards of operating a small business, and the importance of preserving the places that give Pasadena its identity.
Gary L. Moody is a Pasadena civil rights leader and former president of the Pasadena Branch of the NAACP. Through his personal reflections, Moody shares the experiences of Black Pasadenans during a period of profound social change, examining segregation, housing discrimination, and the impacts of eminent domain on local communities. His memories of Colorado Boulevard and the neighborhoods connected to the Route 66 corridor reveal how race and opportunity shaped life in Pasadena, for better and for worse. Just as importantly, his story highlights the deep roots, resilience, and lasting contributions of Pasadena's African American community, whose history is inseparable from the history of the city itself. Moody's perspective reminds us that the story of Route 66 is not only one of travel and commerce, but also of the communities that lived, worked, built lives, and fought for equality along the corridor.
Dominique Moody is a visual artist and storyteller whose work explores the meaning of home, movement, and memory. Inspired by her family's history of travel and migration, as well as her own life as a self-described urban nomad, Moody examines the experiences of people who live between places and create community wherever they go. Her connection to Route 66 is rooted in the human stories behind the road, stories of journeys, opportunity, displacement, and belonging. Through her art and community-based projects in Pasadena and beyond, Moody offers a perspective on Route 66 that looks beyond the pavement to the people whose lives have been shaped by travel and the search for home.
Original Whistler Stop Trains on Route 66 neon sign, Route 66, 2490 E. Colorado Blvd., Pasadena, 2026. Photo by Walt Fogler-Mancini
Gwinn’s Restaurant Menu for 2915 E. Colorado Blvd., Pasadena, n.d.
Saga Motor Hotel, Route 66, 1633 E. Colorado Blvd., Pasadena, n.d.
Peter Satori Motors, 297 W. Colorado Blvd., Pasadena, 1953; Now Rusnak Auto Group
A. R. Ahrens Ford Sales and Service, 285 W Colorado Blvd., Pasadena, 1936
Astro Motel, Route 66, 2818 E. Colorado Blvd., Pasadena, n.d.
Route 66 Photos Courtesy of the Pasadena Museum of History
