Do You Know Hart? Historical Society Program Features Hart History
You know Memorial Park. You know the small meeting hall in the middle of the park called Hart Park House. Do you know that the park was once a vineyard and that Dr. John Hart was one of the first major wine producers in Sierra Madre? His wine was lauded as “excellent” and as a “pure product” due to Dr. Hart’s extensive study of European methods of wine production and his imported vines. Grape sugar levels in grapes grown in our park were as high as 20 per cent and this, coupled with his hand production techniques, made for a smooth wine without the harsh taste of machine produced wines.
He was well known for his excellent winery, but he also
donated land for the first public school and was a champion of Sierra Madre’s growth and culture. It wasn’t all roses for Dr. Hart, though. He was also the center of smear campaign created by later arrivals, temperance activists who objected to his “grog shop”. Sides were
taken in town, controversy and rhetoric flew, and reputations were at stake! What happened next? Come to the meeting and meet Dr. John Hart through his history and achievements and see how he shaped Sierra Madre.
On February 21st The Sierra Madre Historical Preservation Society will present a fascinating program at 7:30 at Hart Park House in Memorial Park about Dr. John Hart and his many contributions to Sierra Madre’s growth and culture.
