Santa Anita Tract
Rancho Santa Anita started as a 13,380 acre Mexican land grant located in the San Gabriel Valley of Southern California. The grant was made to Hugo Reid, and the property went through several owners until was purchased in 1875 by Elias J. "Lucky" Baldwin. Baldwin subsequently (1883) subdivided a portion of his property into the Santa Anita Tract (see map below) and began selling off the lots.
In 1883, William N. Monroe purchased 240 acres in the northern section of the Santa Anita Tract. He and others then formed a consortium to buy Lots 11-14 and 37-45 and subdivided them into the Monrovia Tract and the Town of Monrovia Subdivision. Besides Monrovia, the land in Rancho Santa Anita became parts of the cities of Sierra Madre, Pasadena, Arcadia, and San Marino.