History of Monrovia's Big M

The Monrovia Historic Preservation Group's latest newsletter has an interesting article on the big M on the hills above town.

The M is 60 feet by 80 feet and was built by the Monrovia High class of 1952. Merchants and community groups donated 500 feet of redwood 2x4s, 25 tons of crushed rock, 500 feet of steel electri- cal conduit, electrical fixtures, and paint. It was later made of concrete to be more permanent. The letter was lit when the school competed and if the football team won, the legs of the M could be dimmed so that only the V, for "victory" showed. It was restored by the MHS Class of 1982, and in 1995 the Monrovia Fire Department Explorers spent two Saturdays clearing weeds and giving the M a fresh coat of paint.

- Brad Haugaard