Chambers of Commerce have been around for more than 400 years and pre-date the Declaration of Independence and Revolutionary War in the United States. A presentation called “The Chamber was There” at the Arcadia Chamber of Commerce’s annual Planning Conference Thursday (Jan. 22, 2015) noted that Chambers have been responsible for or played an integral role in thousands of major achievements including the Golden Gate Bridge, Hoover Dam, Pony Express, Panama Canal, telegraph, first trans-Atlantic steamship and cable lines, the Spirit of St. Louis, the National Weather Service, the Hollywood Walk of Fame, San Antonio River Walk, and Port of Losa Angeles.
In Arcadia, the Chamber’s origins date back more than 90 years to shortly after the incorporation of the City of Arcadia, with the Arcadia Chamber being one of the primary proponents and supporters of Santa Anita Park race track and lobbying for years for Arcadia to create the position of City Manager. With the help of the city’s biggest and smallest businesses throughout the years, the Chamber also created some of the city’s biggest community events and partnered with many organizations on projects including the rescue of the Santa Anita Depot.
The presentation concluded with an announcement that the Arcadia Chamber will celebrate the 50th anniversary of the dedication of the iconic office building on Huntington Drive with a celebration on Nov. 12 (2015) that will include the opening of a time capsule buried in 1965 and the planting of a new one.
(See the full PowerPoint presentation here at Arcadia Chamber of Commerce web site.)
— By Scott Hettrick