By Susie Ling It was in 1979 that Jimmy and Maria Kypreos opened Monrovian Restaurant – but not at the northeast corner of Myrtle and Colorado. Many of Monrovian Restaurant’s dedicated customers remember. Joe of San Dimas said, “I used to come with my three daughters when we lived in Monrovia. Jimmy had the restaurant…
By Susie Ling Once upon a time, a young man named Demetrios “Jim” Bakolas dreamed of opportunity in America. In 1938, Demetrios was the youngest of four born to a doctor and his wife. Demetrios was born in Karpenisi, an area in Central Greece rich in historic tradition and natural alpine beauty. But in the…
By Susan Motander In 1883 five men purchased land from Lucky Baldwin’s Rancho Santa Anita. William Newton Monroe, one of those five, purchased 240 acres for $30,000. Monroe was the son of a successful Midwestern farmer but made his own money in railroad engineering (the sort that plans, not those that drive the engines). Ultimately, he settled in…