Vignette > Pixie Trail

On the La Verne Heights subdivision development map of 1915, a long main east-west road from Montford Ave. to Janes St. is identified as Marin Ave. A side street leading up to Edgewood Ave. is named Seymour Ave. Elinor Hunsinger lived at #10 Seymour Ave. [now #305 Seymour Lane] from 1939 until her death in 1961. She is famous for having changed the name of Marin Ave. to Pixie Trail. Neighborhood children called her “Hunsie” and often tagged along on her daily walks. They loved her stories, especially the one about pixies coming out at night to have their parties. The evidence for this activity was the carpet of the pixie caps on eucalyptus nuts. Pixie Trail is now a scenic path on public open space heavily used by joggers and those who take the dog for a walk. Hunsie was born and raised in India. Her parents were English. In 1936, she and her American husband moved to a house on Catalpa Street in Mill Valley. She soon became a widow and moved to a house on Seymour Lane. Children who visited her enjoyed her cookies and admired the treasures she had collected in India.