Feb. 29, 1908

Above, the Stoddard-Dayton ($58,265.68 USD 2007). Drivers prepare for the annual Pasadena-Altadena Hill Climb, an important event in motor sports in early 20th century Los Angeles. The race course started at Orange Grove and went up Los Robles, took a turn to Santa Rosa and ended at Lake Avenue. Unfortunately, the route changed slightly over the years and today's maps and the vague descriptions in The Times make it a bit difficult to determine the precise route. One account noted that dozens of bungalows had sprouted up near the finish line, hampering the drivers--and the new streetcar tracks had become an annoying hazard ... A mining engineer shoots a wealthy widow after she allegedly threw a cup of sulfuric acid in his face.

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