Arcadia History Program "Parker Lyon & His Zany Museum"
Schedule
Sat Oct 19 2024 at 02:00 pm
UTC-07:00Location
20 W Duarte Rd, Arcadia, CA, United States, California 91006 | Arcadia, CA
Arcadia Historical Society president Ed Andersen will discuss the fascinating old west relics collected at the historic Pony Express Museum.Free - all are welcome! Registration/tickets not required.
In 1934, W. Parker Lyon purchased six acres of land from E. J. “Lucky” Baldwin’s daughter Anita and the following year he opened Lyon’s Pony Express Museum on Huntington Drive in Arcadia. This was no ordinary museum, and it reflected the character of its peculiar owner. Visitors could view the largest collection of chamber pots in the world, including one belonging to famed actress Lillie Langtry. Prominently displayed were three kegs teeming with old cigar butts, which Lyon claimed were from General Ulysses S. Grant. There were “human scalps,” the “First Jail in California,” and “the watch that saved Buffalo Bill’s life.” Parker Lyon, however, was more of a showman than a dedicated historian and the authenticity of some of his holdings has been questioned. But no one disputes that the Arcadia museum was one of Southern California’s must-see attractions until Lyon’s death in 1949. What happened to the collections? Come and find out!
Where is it happening?
20 W Duarte Rd, Arcadia, CA, United States, California 91006
