At a Glance
- Altadena Between Wilderness and City reprinted after Eaton Fire destroyed thousands of copies
- Author Michele Zack plans to document the community’s recovery and future
- Book traces Altadena’s evolution from segregation to integration
- Why it matters: Residents rebuilding their lives can reconnect with their town’s complex history
After the Eaton Fire claimed more than 9,000 homes and businesses in Altadena, a chronicle of the community’s past has re-emerged as both a keepsake and a roadmap for what comes next.
A Book Rises From The Ashes
First published in 2004, Altadena Between Wilderness and City had become a coffee-table staple in many households-until flames consumed countless copies last January. The Altadena Historical Society recently reprinted hundreds of editions so new and longtime residents can again hold their story in their hands.
Michele Zack, the book’s author, sees the timing as essential:
> “We were just getting to the place, you know, where we had more restaurants and some were becoming hip.”
From Exclusion To Belonging
Zack’s narrative reaches back centuries before Altadena’s 1887 founding, spotlighting how the foothill community wrestled with race and belonging. She notes that by the early 20th century, the town’s near-even split of Black and white residents created:
- Rich cultural mixing
- Tensions that led to exclusionary campaigns
- Grass-roots efforts promoting integration
> “Like, this is in 1919, where they were announcing, ‘We don’t want any people of color in Altadena,'” she explained.
The book also maps moments of welcome, documenting neighbor-signed pledges that read:
> “I welcome a good neighbor of any color, creed, religion.”
Rebuilding On A Recorded Foundation
Zack, now rebuilding the home she and her husband constructed over 40 years ago, believes future development could echo earlier eras when buying in was possible for people of means-yet only under close community scrutiny.
> “Nothing big is going to go through without a lot of scrutiny,” she said, noting that residents are already coordinating to shape what gets rebuilt and how.
She is preparing fresh chapters to capture lessons learned since the book’s first release and to chronicle Altadena’s next phase.
> “I want everyone to learn about our rich history and there’s a lot more to write,” Zack added.
Key Takeaways
- Hundreds of reprinted copies of Altadena Between Wilderness and City are now available
- The book covers centuries of local history, including segregation and integration
- Author Michele Zack is documenting the community’s post-fire recovery
- Residents are actively collaborating to influence rebuilding plans
With flames having erased so many physical reminders of the past, the returned volume offers both a reclaimed memory and a template for what Altadena might yet become.
