November 6, 2016
With the 128 annual Tournament of Roses Parade just around the corner, the Torrance Historical Society is hosting a program entitled The History of the Torrance Rose Float: A Torrance Tradition for over 100 Years .
The program will take place on Sunday, November 6 at the Torrance Historical Society & Museum. The presentation will begin at 2 p.m. and light refreshments will be served.
The tradition of Torrance participating in the Tournament of Roses Parade began with the City’s Founder, Jared Sidney Torrance, who was on over 130 Board of Directors, including the Valley Hunt Club, which sponsored the first Rose Parade in 1890 to promote Pasadena as a warm-weather destination to their east coast friends. During Torrance’s tenure as president of the Valley Hunt Club (1895-1896), it was decided that a separate agency needed to be formed to mange the Parade, as it had grown too large for the Club to handle.
In 1895, the Tournament of Roses Association was formed to take charge of the event. The City of Torrance’s first float entry was 1914. This float was entered by Thomas Campbell & Co. whose stock was solely owned by Jared Sidney Torrance. Thomas Campbell & Co. promoted the town of Torrance during its first year. Lynn Robinson of the Torrance Rose Float Association will share the history of this long standing tradition of the City of Torrance’s participation in the Tournament of Roses Parade, and provide pictures of each float entry. Guests will also see the trophy won by the City for their 1914 entry proudly displayed at the Torrance Historical Society & Museum.
This event is free and open to the public. No reservations are necessary, but seating is limited to first-come/first-served.
The Torrance Historical Society & Museum is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization open free to the public Wednesday, Thursday & Sunday, from 1:00 PM – 4:00 PM. Special hours can be arranged for private tours or research. The Society has an ever growing collection of photos, documents, books, artifacts and other material relevant to the City to Torrance’s past.
For additional information, call the Museum at 310.328.5392 or visit the website at http://www.TorranceHistoricalSociety.org.
The Torrance Historical Society & Museum is located at 1345 Post Avenue, Torrance, CA 90501.