Lest you think “Puddingstone” is the surname of some Charles Dickens character, it’s actually a type of conglomerate rock. It earned its quirky name because of its resemblance to plum pudding, a baked dessert studded with dried fruits and traditionally served at Christmas. Similar to a fruitcake. The term “puddingstone” or “pudding-stone” was in use in Britain and America by the 1810s. Such a rock can be found in this part of the San Gabriel Valley, so by 1888 – forty years before the Puddingstone Reservoir was finally completed – locals were already referring to this basin as Puddingstone Gorge, with its Puddingstone Falls. Some even called it Pudding Hole! Puddingstone Drive was laid out in 1932 and took its current name in 1940.
Find it on the map:
