Horace Dobbins

Horace M. Dobbins (August 29, 1868 – September 21, 1962) was a Philadelphia-born businessman and politician who served as Mayor of Pasadena, California, United States in 1900–1901.

Horace Dobbins was known for building the California Cycleway from Pasadena to Los Angeles. Horace Dobbins had the exclusive idea of incorporating an elevated tollway for bicycles and other horseless vehicles from the Green Hotel in Pasadena to Los Angeles. This idea was brought to mind on August 23, 1897. Dobbins personally secured the right of way for six miles and the completed route was almost nine miles long. Unfortunately, the project came to a halt with the invention of the automobile. Although the Cycleway stopped being used, its route was transformed into what is now the Arroyo Seco/Pasadena Freeway which now is better known as 110.

Dobbins entered politics very soon after arriving in Pasadena. He was elected a member of the city board of trustees of which he later became president. It was during the cycle craze that Dobbins was elected mayor of Pasadena on April 16, 1900. He served for one year in this position. Following the failure of the Cycleway, Dobbins turned to other pursuits, including the refurbishment of Los Angeles' Agricultural Park (now Exposition Park), the management of the Broadwood hotel in Philadelphia, and the design and sailing of yachts. The idea that Pasadena should organize a marching club was formed on a summer day of 1869. The starters searched for people who were interested and as a result, Dobbins and few more people were invited to a special meeting. There were roles to fill in this organization, so Horace Dobbins served as an adjutant working with many other companies. Later on, after a period of about ten years of continuous active participation in the club, he succeeded Stearns as president. After he retired from the office of mayor, he became a member of the Pasadena Board of Trade and the Los Angeles Chamber of Commerce which is now Southern California's dominant business federation. It represents hundreds of thousands business interests in California, making it the largest not for profit business federation in Southern California today.

In his later years, Horace Dobbins became more involved with other activities and non-profit organizations, such as the Pasadena Country Club and the Cumberland Club (which is in Portland, Maine).