Water and Power Associates Informing the Public about Critical Water and Energy Issues facing Los Angeles and California

Historical Notes

The area was long inhabited by the Tongva people (or "People of the Earth"), who were later renamed the Gabrieleños by the Spanish missionaries, after the nearby Mission San Gabriel Arcángel.

In 1798, José María Verdugo, a corporal in the Spanish army from Baja California, received the Rancho San Rafael from Governor Diego de Borica, formalizing his possession and use of land on which he had been grazing livestock and farming since 1784. Rancho San Rafael was a Spanish concession, of which 25 were made in California. Unlike the later Mexican land grants, the concessions were similar to grazing permits, with the title remaining with the Spanish crown.

Historical Notes

In 1860, José María Verdugo's grandson, Teodoro Verdugo, built the Verdugo Adobe, which is the oldest building in Glendale. The property is the location of the Oak of Peace, where early Californio leaders including Pio Pico met in 1847 and decided to surrender to Lieutenant Colonel John C. Frémont.

Historical Notes

In 1884, residents gathered to form a townsite and chose the name "Glendale" (it was bounded by First Street (now Lexington Drive) on the north, Fifth Street (now Harvard Street) on the south, Central Avenue on the west, and the Childs Tract on the east). Residents to the southwest formed "Tropico" in 1887. Residence to the north lived in the Casa Verdugo community.

Glendale incorporated in 1906 and annexed Tropico 12 years later, in 1918.

In March of 1926, a vote for annexation passed and Casa Verdugo also became a part of the city of Glendale.

Historical Notes

Here was drafted the Treaty of Cahuenga on January 12, 1847, signed the following day in Cahuenga Pass. When the home was owned by Dr. and Mrs. Ernest G. Bashor, they named it "El Roble de la Paz" ('The Oak of Peace').

Although the tree died from natural causes in 1987, remnants can still be seen at its original site.

Historical Notes

The adobe had previously been the home of Fernando Sepulveda and his wife, Rafaela Verdugo de Sepulveda, whose father had owned the vast Rancho San Rafael.   The restaurant was originally to have been called La Ramada (“The Arbor") but soon became known as Casa Verdugo after a Los Angeles reporter incorrectly identified the Adobe as the home of Teodoro Verdugo, Rafaela's nephew.  The name stuck, Casa Verdugo opened on January 21, 1905, and the restaurant was an immediate success.^

Historical Notes

Leslie C. Brand and Henry E. Huntington purchased hundreds of acres of what had been the famous and vast Rancho San Rafael which included the Casa Verdugo adobe. They decided to remake the old house into a tourist destination in the form of a restaurant specializing in Spanish dishes intended to delight the tourists and give them a real “taste” of old California in the most literal sense of the word.^

Historical Notes

In 1905, the Casa Verdugo restaurant opened in the Sepulveda Adobe, operated by Piedad Yorba Sowl. Brand and Huntington recruited Mrs. Sowl due to her experience in the restaurant industry. Her first restaurant, El Famoso, also served authentic dishes of Mexican origin. The restaurant capitalized on the romanticized image of Old California that became widely popular during the late 19th century. Casa Verdugo quickly became an early tourist attraction in Glendale as evidenced by local ads and postcards of the restaurant. The area around it became a popular destination as evidenced by the growth of the population of Casa Verdugo area in 1910 from 1,200 to 1,500 persons.*

To make the old adobe accessible to the tourists, Huntington arranged for his Pacific Electric Railway to extend up Brand Boulevard, adding a terminus station at the entrance to the restaurant and its surrounding park, which was named “Casa Verdugo” in honor of Maria Sepulveda’s great-grandfather, Jose Maria Verdugo, the original “Don” of Rancho San Rafael.

Historical Notes

Surrounded by pepper trees and other mature vegetation, the picturesque old adobe had a commanding vista towards downtown Los Angeles from its wide sheltering corridor that ran the entire length of the long narrow facade.

Historical Notes

Huntington and his development syndicate expended thousands not only on the adobe itself, but in transforming the surrounding acres into a lush park with meandering pathways winding their way around exotic plantings including varieties of cacti and a fragrant grove of oranges that was intended to represent the type of gardens found in the old California days.^

Historical Notes

From the time of its opening in early 1905, the Casa Verdugo was a big hit. Heavily advertised by the Pacific Electric, the Casa Verdugo rode the crest of the wave of public fascination with the romantic days of California’s Spanish and Mexican past and visitors made their way in droves “Out Glendale way” to partake in a Spanish dinner and stroll about the lush grounds.

During its heyday, Casa Verdugo regularly entertained hundreds and sometimes even thousands of visitors at a time including a memorable 1907 Shriners outing that brought 5,000 visiting potentates to the old adobe.^

Within a few years of the restaurant opening a small community had developed and called itself Casa Verdugo after the restaurant.  A commercial district grew along Brand Boulevard and Central Avenue, including a department store, groceries, a meat market, hardware store, drug store, the Mission Theatre and a post office where tourists could have their picture postcards of the restaurant postmarked “Casa Verdugo, California.”  The droves of tourists, and the postcards they mailed home, helped make Casa Verdugo a well-known destination throughout the country; visitors had to see the missions, the Mt. Lowe Railway, Santa Catalina Island and the famous Casa Verdugo.    

Historical Notes

Both the food and the setting were real treats. Diners could enjoy their peppery selections in a variety of inviting locations, from the fireplace-warmed main sala with its thick adobe walls and old beamed ceiling festooned with strings of red peppers to al fresco settings under venerable pepper trees or vine-covered bowers. A most popular spot was, no doubt, the wide veranda where the pleasure of a sunset dinner was enhanced by the heady scent of orange blossoms wafting through the dusky air.

Although its setting was charming in the extreme, Casa Verdugo’s true success was the result of its exceptional proprietress, Piedad Yorba de Sowl, whom Huntington and Brand had wisely granted a five-year lease to run the property upon its opening in 1905. Under de Sowl, Casa Verdugo rapidly became a “must do” for anyone visiting Southern California.

In 1910, because of a disagreement with de Sowl, the Pacific Electric would not renew her lease and hired another proprietor. de Sowl, however, had both trademarked and copyrighted the name “Casa Verdugo” and now claimed infringement. A nasty court battle followed, which de Sowl decisively won in 1911 and the Pacific Electric was forced to suck lemons and come up with a new name. They ultimately settled on “La Ramada”. de Sowl opened a "New" Casa Verdugo Restaurant in her nearby residence and over the next decade the two restaurants operated side by side in an uneasy truce, but one clearly favored by de Sowl. In evicting de Sowl, the Pacific Electric had naively thought people had come to Casa Verdugo to see a building. They hadn’t. They came for an experience, and de Sowl was the one who provided it.^

On May 1, 1923 the original Casa Verdugo Restaurant (formerly the Sepulveda adobe), located in what is now the 1200 block of North Maryland Avenue, was demolished.

Historical Notes

Because of her success at the original Casa Verdugo Restaurant, Senora Piedad Yorba de Sowl and her husband Charles had been granted by a then grateful Pacific Electric the northeast corner of the Casa Verdugo property where, in 1907, they built a beautiful Mission-styled home, which the couple dubbed “Soledad.” 

In 1910, when de Sowl could not get an extension of her lease at the original Casa Verdugo Restaurant because of a disagreement with Pacific Elelctric, she simply reopened “Casa Verdugo” in her former dwelling, taking the staff and most all of the patrons with her, and which she pointedly advertised as “not the railroad place.”

Historical Notes

When Piedad Yorba Sowl moved her restaurant around the corner (literally) after the Pacific Electric Railway declined to renew her lease in 1910, she had a set of postcards printed featuring the new location. This is the first one.

Historical Notes

Piedad Yoba de Sowl’s new Casa Verdugo brought the same charms that were so successful to Casa Verdugo vieja. As before, diners could choose indoor or al fresco dining. Those choosing indoor seating had their choice of a series of charming spaces, each with its own unique name and personality such as the Indian, the Red or the Green Room. And to make sure diners didn’t have to rely on the hated Pacific Electric to visit the Casa, de Sowl had a beautiful garage constructed, that housed any number of visiting machines in Mission-styled splendor.

Piedad Yoba de Sowl was such a success she opened a “Casa Verdugo  Segunda” at 736 South Spring Street in 1913 so diners in downtown Los Angeles could enjoy the same style food and service found “Out Glendale Way.” 

Operating in this location until April of 1921, de Sowl and the Pacific Electric both sold out to a consortium of three school teacher sisters, Ida , Jeannette and Myrtle Baldwin from Dayton, Ohio.  The combined transaction for the two properties being described as the largest real estate deal to date in Glendale area for the considerable sum of $100,000.  The Casa Verdugo name remained a potent one in L.A. restaurant up into the 1960’s.  By that time, however, Piedad Yorba de Sowl had long passed, dying at the age of 84 in 1948.  Her former home and restaurant, however, has survived, an accomplishment as remarkable as the woman herself, and remains today a treasured landmark in northern Glendale (1235 North Louise Street at the corner of Randolph).^* Click HERE for contemporary view.

Historical Notes

In October 1784, José María Verdugo petitioned Pedro Fages, Governor of Alta California, for a grant of land. This grant was the first and one of the largest made. When parts of Rancho San Rafael were sold, Tomás Sánchez, Sheriff of Los Angeles County, purchased a tract of 100 acres and in 1865 built this artistic adobe of the hacienda type, restored in 1932.

Historical Notes

Casa Adobe de San Rafael has been designated a California Historical Monument (No. 235). It is located in a city park and is now furnished with furniture, cooking utensils and other relics of its time. Location:1330 Dorothy Dr, Glendale.

Historical Notes

During the area's first little boom, the Hotel Glendale was built at a cost of $60,000 in 1887-1888. It was a grandiose structure, but it didn't even open! The boom busted too fast, and the hotel became a school (St. Hilda's Hall, School for Girls). It later became the Glendale Sanitarium until 1924 when the building was razed.*

Historical Notes

Glendale Sanitarium opened in 1905, a year before Glendale was incorporated as a city. It occupied the beautiful 75-room Victorian structure (Hotel Glendale) and stayed until moving out in 1924 to a new location at 1509 Wilson Terrace.  There it evolved into the well-known Glendale Adventist Health Center that exists today.

Historical Notes

CCasa Verdugo was originally a part of the Rancho San Rafael land grant that was given to Jose Maria Verdugo in 1784. Verdugo’s granddaughter, Rafaela Verdugo de Sepulveda, subsequently owned the land after the Great Partition in 1871.

In 1883 the real estate firm Wicks, Wright, Hodgkins, and Watts purchased 500 acres of land from Valentine Mand, which included the Sepulveda Adobe. A portion of the property was sold to clergyman George Baugh in 1886 who subdivided the tract and lived in the Sepulveda Adobe with his family. In 1900, Baugh sold the property to J.D. Bliss who with the help of his brother operated Bliss Ranch on the property.

Finally, in 1903 Leslie Brand, who would become a civic leader in Glendale, purchased Bliss Ranch and 175 acres of surrounding land. In 1904, Brand sold a stake of the tract to Henry Huntington, the owner of the Pacific Electric Railway Company. This resulted in the creation of the Glendale line that ran from downtown Los Angeles to Broadway in Glendale. At the time, the Los Angeles Interurban Railway served as the operator, which was later succeeded by the Pacific Electric Railway. In November 1904, the line was extended a half-mile north along Brand Boulevard to Mountain Street.**

Historical Notes

The Glendale Line was pioneered by L.C. Brand and associates starting in October, 1902, through their corporation, "The Los Angeles & Glendale Electric Railway". On June 29, 1903, Brand received a franchise from the Los Angeles City Council for an electric railway line running from Los Angeles to Glendale.  The franchise was soon sold to Henry E. Huntington, owner of Pacific Electric Railway Co., who would bring the "Red Cars" to Glendale by 1904 under the name of Los Angeles Interurban Railway (later changed to Pacific Electric).

A 1906 San Rafael Investment Co. and Pacific Electric Railway promotional brochure reads:

The fame of this ride, decidedly the most picturesque to any suburb, attracts thousands of tourists, requiring many additional cars on Sundays and holidays, while the hundreds of commuters going daily to and from business and home are rapidly increasing in numbers. 

The passage through the city, passing Central Park, traversing Figueroa Street, Lake Shore Drive (today, Glendale Blvd.), skirting Echo Park, through Edendale and the Pass between Elysian and Griffith Parks to the point where the most enchanting of all valley panoramas burst upon the view, is accomplished in fifteen minutes.  The scene is framed on the north, in ascending order, by the San Rafael hills, Verdugo mountains and the San Gabriel range, showing Mts. Lowe and Wilson in the foreground, while far to the east Mt. Cucamonga’s dome and the other snow-capped peaks of the San Bernardino mountains rising eight thousand and nine thousand feet are discovered.  The flight along the borders of Griffith Park, over the trestles spanning Los Angeles River, and through Tropico to the fine depot at Brand Boulevard and Fourth Street (today, Broadway), Glendale occupies but ten minutes. 

Here, midway the broad valley, its beauties and surpassing advantages are fully realized.   But five minutes are required for the remainder of the trip down the center of Brand Boulevard, a thoroughfare 130 feet in width, flanked by seventy-two monoliths, eleven and one-half feet high, capped by electric lights, with the space between the broad cement walks and curbs filled by graceful palms, on to Mountain Avenue.  Here at the end of the line is found the choicest residential portion of the valley, at the foothills.  This is not a picture of a dissolving view, but one as eternal as the everlasting hills.*

Historical Notes

The Inter-Urban streetcar route began at the Huntington Building (aka Pacific Electric Building) in downtown Los Angeles, passing Central Park, traversing Figueroa Street, Lake Shore Drive (today, Glendale Blvd.), skirting Echo Park, through Edendale and the Pass between Elysian and Griffith Parks, over the trestles spanning Los Angeles River, through Tropico and then down the center of Brand Boulevard to the depot at Brand Boulevard and Fourth Street (today, Broadway), and finally further north on Brand to the end of the line at Mountain Avenue, the location of Casa Verdugo.

Historical Notes

The Edendale Cut was an unpaved road (some of which is now known as Silver Lake Ct.) and was the former route of the Glendale and Burbank interurban railway lines operated by Pacific Electric. The line crossed Fletcher Drive over a viaduct before continuing along a hillside ledge to the Monte Sano stop at Glendale Blvd. and Riverside Drive.

Historical Notes

The Edendale Cut was part of the Pacific Electric's Glendale-Burbank Line, which had one terminus in Downtown LA and the other in Burbank, passing through Edendale/Silver Lake along the way.

The cut was a deep trench carved through the hills to allow the rail line to pass through the area without steep grades.

Homes and other buildings lined the sides of the cut, with the rail line running through the bottom.

In 1960, many of these homes were demolished to make way for the construction of the Glendale (2) Freeway, which followed a similar route through the cut.

Today, remnants of the old rail line like bridge footings and dirt paths can still be seen in the area, serving as reminders of LA's once-extensive rail network.

Historical Notes

In 1904, a nearly 454 foot long bridge, the Fletcher Viaduct, was built by Pacific Electric over Fletcher Drive, which ran forty feet below. The viaduct stood until 1928 when it was replaced by a steel structure bridge. Click HERE to see more.

Historical Notes

As a result of transportation innovations and the success of the restaurant, a commercial district was created in the Casa Verdugo neighborhood at the corner of North Central Ave. and West Stocker St. A theatre, various stores, a school, and a post office were established in the area, providing a solid economic foundation and increasing population growth that spurred residential construction. A flurry of developers, companies, and individuals participated in the purchase and subdivision of tracts in Casa Verdugo.

The development of Casa Verdugo was not the effort of any single developer or builder, but rather a number of individuals who produced a network of various tracts. Real estate investor James Wyvell played an active role in the subdivision and development of the neighborhood. From 1906 to 1908, Wyvell subdivided and sold a number of tracts both within and surrounding the proposed district. This included land adjacent to the Casa Verdugo restaurant property and lots sold as home sites to individuals. Wyvell’s own Casa Verdugo tract and the Casa Verdugo Villa tract spoke to the growing identity of Casa Verdugo as its own distinct community. ^^

Within a few years of the Casa Verdugo restaurant opening a small community had developed and called itself Casa Verdugo after the restaurant.  A commercial district grew along Brand Boulevard and Central Avenue, including a department store, groceries, a meat market, hardware store, drug store, the Mission Theatre and a post office where tourists could have their picture postcards of the restaurant postmarked “Casa Verdugo, California.”  The droves of tourists, and the postcards they mailed home, helped make Casa Verdugo a well-known destination throughout the country; visitors had to see the missions, the Mt. Lowe Railway, Santa Catalina Island and the famous Casa Verdugo. ^   

Historical Notes

Bliss was named for Bliss Ranch, owned by brothers John Dallett Bliss and Robert Parker Bliss from about 1894 to 1900, when LB Brand bought the property. He then sold a tract to Huntington for Pacific Electric. The Bliss stop was at the base of the Verdugo mountains, just after the Casa Verdugo stop (corner of Brand Boulevard and Mountain Street).

Historical Notes

Glendale, the Casa Verdugo community, and surrounding area experienced a significant growth spurt beginning around 1904, due in large part to the arrival of the Pacific Electric line.

Casa Verdugo held on to the unique identity that emerged during this time and refused to annex to the city of Glendale for sixteen years. Opponents desired an independent city while those in favor wanted the advantages of utilities and services offered by the larger city. In March of 1926, a vote for annexation passed and Casa Verdugo officially became a part of the city of Glendale on April 17, 1926.

Historical Notes

Brand Boulevard was named after Leslie Coombs Brand, “The Father of Glendale”. Brand was an important civic booster who built an estate in 1904 called El Miradero featuring an eye-catching mansion whose architecture combined characteristics of Spanish, Moorish, and Indian styles (today’s Brand Library and Art Center).  His most important contributions to Glendale, though, was when he partnered with Henry E. Huntington to bring the Pacific Electric Railway, or the "Red Cars," to the area also in 1904.

The First National Bank of Glendale seen above was the city’s second bank. It was founded by Leslie Brand in 1905. Brand's friend and business partner, Dan Campbell, served as the bank's vice president and manager.

Historical Notes

The Glendale Line was pioneered by L.C. Brand and associates starting in October, 1902, through their corporation, "The Los Angeles & Glendale Electric Railway". On June 29, 1903, Brand received a franchise from the Los Angeles City Council for an electric railway line starting at the Southern Pacific's Arcade Station at Fifth, Central & Ceres Street in Los Angeles via Ceres, Sixth, Olive, Seventh, Figueroa, Second, Lake Shore Ave. (Glendale Boulevard) to Sunset Boulevard, and then northerly to the city limits. In Glendale, the line was to enter via a new thoroughfare, Brand Boulevard, thus creating a new business artery to the west of the then central business section on Glendale Ave. where the steam trains of the Los Angeles Terminal Railroad (U.P.) offered the only transportation via rail to the city.

Historical Notes

The Glendale Line was soon extended east on Broadway to Glendale Avenue where all cars terminated for a short time.

Historical Notes

Click HERE to see more Early Views of Brand Boulevard (1920 +)

Historical Notes

Note the two phone numbers at the top of the truck (S.S. 82 and HOME 682). Between 1906 and 1918, the San Fernando Valley Home Telephone Company and Sunset Telephone both operated in the Glendale area. Unfortunately, neither was compatible with the other therefore requiring patrons to have two lines--one for each company.

Historical Notes

In 1909, L. C. Brand invested heavily in the Home Telephone Company and installed new switchboards in company office at the Central Hotel Building on Brand Boulevard.***^

Historical Notes

From 1913 to 1918, the Glendale police and fire departments operated as a single entity out of Fire House No. 1 on Broadway between Louise and Kenwood Streets. Police officers and firemen were often required to perform double-duty when needed. In the upper right window are the twin sons of George Herald: Frank and George, Jr.***^

Click HERE to see more Early Views of the Glendale Police Department (1919 +)

Historical Notes

The Glendale Bank was the first bank in Glendale. The building was constructed by Mr. Ayers.***^

Historical Notes

From 1909 to circa 1922, the Glendale Bank was located in this building. The wires and tracks of the Pacific Electric Railway are visible running down the middle of the street. The Pacific Electric local line ran along East Broadway from Brand Boulevard to Chevy Chase Drive.***^

Historical Notes

This building was lost to the 1971 Sylmar Earthquake.

Historical Notes

Tropico was put on the map as a fertile agricultural spot in the late 1800s. Shortly thereafter, the town began distancing itself from the rest of Glendale. In 1918, the neighborhood formally succeeded in becoming an independent entity for a short time.

Historical Notes

Tropico was the name of the southern portion of Glendale, south of Windsor Road, between the late 1800s and 1918. The name "Glendale"  had originated in the 1880s and was utilized north of Windsor Road. Political factions had divided the town in two.   By the turn of the century, the commercial center of Tropico was at Central and San Fernando Road and its population was 700.*

Historical Notes

Tropico was just a sleepy little village in the early 1900s. The business district included a few wooden buildings containing a general store, a blacksmith shop, meat store, livery stable, real estate offices and a few other small concerns. The buildings were all clustered near the intersection of San Fernando Road and Central Avenue. But within a few short years, the wood-frame buildings were replaced with brick, business boomed and the community became vibrant. The Tropico Art Tile Works stood just west of the railroad tracks, employing many people, and Tropico also became the shipping center for the strawberries raised in the area.

Because of its proximity to Los Angeles, the area became a popular residential spot. The Tropico Chamber of Commerce organized in 1910, along with the Bank of Tropico, and soon the community realized it needed a city government.

With so many of its residents commuting into Los Angeles, many favored annexing to Los Angeles. Others, seeing Glendale's successful example of home rule, wanted to be part of Glendale, which had incorporated in 1906.^

Historical Notes

With so many of its residents commuting into Los Angeles, many favored annexing to Los Angeles. Others, seeing Glendale's successful example of home rule, wanted to be part of Glendale, which had incorporated in 1906.  They felt that since the two communities were adjacent and in the same valley, they should be affiliated. Those favoring annexation with Glendale (mainly in the northeast part of Tropico) approached Glendale officials in 1911 and asked that an election be called.

The publishers of the Tropico Sentinel vehemently opposed annexation, and the issue failed. Instead, Tropico incorporated as its own city, with Elkanah W. Richardson, son of Tropico's founder, W.C.B. Richardson, serving as a member of the board of trustees.

The new city government immediately embarked on a badly needed improvement of the roads, but the annexation issue didn't go away.  Petition after petition was filed, each one eventually failing, until finally, in 1918, the annexation proposal passed.  The upper half of Tropico voted to go with Glendale, and the lower half voted to merge with Los Angeles. Today, that portion makes up the area known as Atwater.^

Historical Notes

The Tropico Post Office building was owned by WCB Richardson and was located near the corner of Central Avenue and San Fernando Road.

Historical Notes

Edward Henry Weston has been called "one of the most innovative and influential American photographers..." and "one of the masters of 20th century photography."  Over the course of his 40-year career Weston photographed an increasingly expansive set of subjects, including landscapes, still-lifes, nudes, portraits, genre scenes and even whimsical parodies. It is said that he developed a "quintessentially American, and especially Californian, approach to modern photography" because of his focus on the people and places of the American West. In 1937 Weston was the first photographer to receive a Guggenheim Fellowship.

In 1910 Weston opened his own business, called "The Little Studio", in Tropico. His sister later asked him why he opened his studio in Tropico rather than in the nearby metropolis of Los Angeles, and he replied "Sis, I'm going to make my name so famous that it won't matter where I live."*

Weston photographed many of the early buildings and local events in Glendale.

Historical Notes

Click HERE to see more Early Views of the Glendale Police Department (1938 +).

Historical Notes

Click HERE to see more Early Views of the Glendale Police Department (1938 +).

Historical Notes

The name Chevy Chase actually comes from an ancient Scottish ballad called "The Ballad of Chevy Chase". The "chase" refers to a hunting party, and the "Chevy" is from the Cheviot Hills, which are located along the English/Scottish border.

Some parts of Chevy Chase Drive were originally named Park Avenue and Sycamore Canyon, but in the mid 1920's a real estate agent named E.R. Austin worked to create an additional entrance into Glendale from Los Angeles and was able to convince L.A. and Glendale officials to change the name of this route to Chevy Chase Drive for the entire length of the street, as well as extend the street in various places. All this combining of names and extending made Chevy Chase Drive the longest street in Glendale.^

Historical Notes

Southern California was the principal center for the development of drive-in markets between the mid-1910s to the early 1940s. Other notable early drive-in markets included: Mandarin Market (Hollywood), Plaza Market (LA), and the Sunset Clock Market (Beverly Hills).

Historical Notes

Los Feliz Boulevard in Glendale was formerly called Tropico Boulevard. ^

Historical Notes

Glendale Union High School was founded in 1901 by the residents of the villages of Glendale, La Crescenta, Burbank, Eagle Rock, Ivanhoe, Tropico and West Glendale.

Historical Notes

Erected in 1908, Glendale Union High School was located on Harvard Street in Glendale. The building was a two-story, pressed brick building facing Harvard. This marked the first departure of wooden school houses in Glendale. In 1913, three acres were added to the site and two more buildings were constructed.^

Historical Notes

The school continued to grow, as enrollment reached 800 in 1920 and 1,050 in 1921. It was decided then to move the Grade 10, 11 and 12 classes to a new campus at the corner of the present-day Broadway Avenue and Verdugo Road. The school has remained in this location (1440 East Broadway, at the southeast corner of Verdugo) since 1924.*^

Historical Notes

From the 1920's thru 1940's helmets always were strictly of leather construction, and were not mandatory until the 1930's.

One member of this Glendale football team, Marion Morrison, seated in the front row, third from the right, nicknamed "Duke", was a star football player, Senior class president, and sports editor of the school newspaper. "Duke" Morrison graduated in 1925, stumbled into acting, and later became known as John Wayne. ^

Historical Notes

Born in Missouri in 1859, Leslie Coombs Brand became the sole provider for his family at age 11. In 1886, Brand came to California to take advantage of its first boom period. #*#^

Brand was a major figure in the settlement and economic growth of the Glendale area. He had purchased land on the lower slopes of Mount Verdugo overlooking the city, and in 1904 built an imposing residence that became known as Brand Castle, also El Miradero (which today houses the Brand Library).*^

Historical Notes

Designed by Leslie C. Brand's brother-in-law Nathaniel Dryden, the mansion was completed in 1904 and is similar in style to that of the East Indian Pavilion built for the 1893 Columbian World Exposition held in Chicago. The architecture is considered Saracenic, with crenellated arches, bulbous domes and minars combining characteristics of Spanish, Moorish, and Indian styles.^

Historical Notes

Leslie C. Brand helped develop the city of Glendale.  Together with Henry E. Huntington, he brought Pacific Electric to the town to develop it. The 'Brand Library' section of the Glendale Public Library is named in his honor. Brand Boulevard in Glendale is also named in his honor.*^

Historical Notes

Just across the mostly dry Los Angeles River, Brand could see the Griffith Park Aerodrome's grass field, built in 1912. Just three years later he decided to build his own grass airstrip below his mansion.*^

Historical Notes

Brand established a grassy, well-manicured airfield in front of the mansion. The airfield consisted of a 1,200' rolled dirt runway, with a white hangar at one end and a putting green on the other. The hangar matched the architectural style of the mansion - with turrets atop each of the 4 corners.*#*#

Historical Notes

Only 3 aircraft are known to have been actually based at Brand Field.  However, Brand apparently bought many war surplus Jennies, some to tinker with and fly as a sport, although most languished in storage buildings.*#*#

Historical Notes

Brand built his first hangar in 1916 and put together a fleet of planes, and held fly-in parties. The only requirement was that guests had to arrive in their own planes and bring passengers.*^

Historical Notes

Brand Field was no longer depicted on a 1931 street map, but “Brand Park” was depicted, so the airfield may have ceased operation by that point.*#*#

Historical Notes

It was stated in Brand's will that El Miradero would be bequeathed to the city upon his wife's death, on the condition that the property be used exclusively for a public park and library. Mrs. Mary Louise Brand retained rights of the residence from 1925, when Mr. Brand died, until her death in 1945.^

Historical Notes

In 1956 the mansion became the Brand Library, the art and music branch of the Glendale Public Library. The address is 1601 West Mountain Street, Glendale.^

Historical Notes

By 1920, Glendale had grown through nine annexations to over 7,000 acres. From 1920 to 1930, ten annexations brought the total area to 12,294 acres.

The population would keep growing. It rose from 13,756 in 1920 to 62,736 in 1930.

Historical Notes

During the 'teens and 'twenties Brand Boulevard grew into a lively, modern, commercial and entertainment street with banks, department stores, movie theaters and automobile showrooms, becoming the city's "Main Street".

Historical Notes

Security Trust & Savings Bank was founded in 1888 by J.F. Sartori and associates; the bank grew through the development of business and mergers and became Security-First National Bank of Los Angeles (ca. 1931).^

Historical Notes

The Industrial Parade in Glendale in the 1920s was part of the city's vibrant growth and development during that period. Glendale experienced significant expansion through annexations, growing from over 7,000 acres in 1920 to 12,294 acres by 1930. The population also saw a substantial increase from 13,756 in 1920 to 62,736 in 1930. This growth was marked by the city's transformation into a lively commercial and entertainment hub with modern amenities like banks, department stores, movie theaters, and automobile showrooms along Brand Boulevard.

Historical Notes

Today, the building on the SE corner of Brand and Harvard is occupied by a BevMo! Click HERE for contemporary view.

Historical Notes

With population growing from 13,756 in 1920 to 62,736 in 1930, Glendale called itself "The Fastest Growing City in America".

Historical Notes

The NE corner of Brand and Broadway was the site of the Glendale depot of the Los Angeles Interurban railway, 1904-1923. The first six-story building in the city was constructed there by Security Trust and Savings Bank in 1923. Originally, the property was occupied by First National Bank of Glendale.

Historical Notes

In the years between World War I and World War II, the country entered the age of the automobile, and this Art-Deco style worked particularly well in the expanding California automotive market where dealers competed fiercely for attention and for sales.

Historical Notes

Nash Motors was founded in 1916 by former General Motors president Charles W. Nash who acquired the Thomas B. Jeffery Company. Jeffery's best-known automobile was the Rambler whose mass production from a plant in Kenosha, Wisconsin began in 1902.

The 1917 Nash Model 671 was the first vehicle produced to bear the name of the new company's founder. Nash enjoyed decades of success by focusing its efforts to build cars "embodying honest worth ... [at] a price level which held out possibilities of a very wide market."

Charles Nash convinced the chief engineer of GM's Oakland Division, Finnish-born Nils Eric Wahlberg, to move to Nash's new company. The first Nash engine introduced in 1917 by Wahlberg had overhead valves,  which Nash had learned about while working for Buick. Wahlberg is also credited with helping to design flow-through ventilation that is used today in nearly every motor vehicle.*^

Historical Notes

The Palace Grand Theatre was originally built and owned by Henry C. Jensen, who would later build the more palatial Raymond Theatre in Pasadena. The neo-classical building was designed by architect Robert G. Kitts. Construction on the Palace Grand began in August, 1914.^

Historical Notes

The Palace Grand Theatre was operated by Henry C. Jensen for several years.  By 1923, though, it had been renamed the T D & L Theatre, operated by the Turner, Dahnken and Langley Company, which became the basis of the Fox-West Coast circuit.  After T D & L it became the Lincoln Theatre. The entire block on which it stood has long since been redeveloped. It may have closed as early as the 1930’s. ^^*

Historical Notes

The area just south of Montrose was mostly orchards and vineyards owned by William Sparr. When he saw what was happening north of Honolulu Avenue in the 1920s, he decided to rip out his fruit trees and grapevines and divide his land into residential lots. He named the new area “Sparr Heights.”

Historical Notes

The Glendale YMCA was founded in 1919.  A massive fundraising drive brought in enough money in 1926 to construct one of the most successful establishments of Glendale. Located at Wilson Avenue and Louise Street the building is an excellent example of Spanish Colonial Revival architecture and was originally designed with an open-air courtyard in the center and an underground swimming pool.  Upper rooms were constructed for housing.^

Historical Notes

The 1920s-building was designed by Arthur Lindley, whose firm Lindley & Selkirk designed the Alex Theatre a few blocks north of the temple.

California Governor C.C. Young ran for a second term but lost to Frank Merriam, and left office on January 6, 1931. He retired from politics and returned to his business in real estate development.*^

Historical Notes

Americana at Brand owner Rick Caruso and his company, Caruso Affiliated, bought the 1920s-era Masonic temple right across the street from the Americana and renovated the building.  The repurposed Art Deco building now houses the commercial real estate firm CBRE.

Click HERE to see contemporary view.

Historical Notes

The Glendale News-Press was formed when Ira Clifton Copley's Copley Press bought and combined the Glendale Daily Press and the Glendale Evening News in 1905.

Copley sold the News Press and the Burbank Daily Review to Morris Newspapers in 1974; however Morris sold off the papers two years later. Ingersoll Publications bought the papers in 1980.

Page Group Publishing, who had just bought the Orange Coast Daily Pilot and the Huntington Beach Independent, acquired the paper from Ingersoll in 1989. Times Mirror bought the newspaper group in 1993.

The Glendale News-Press covers local news, entertainment and sports in Glendale and La Crescenta-Montrose. With a readership of more than 10,000, it is now published twice-weekly, instead of daily.*^

Historical Notes

G&M No. 12 was one of four cars, nos. 10-13, built for the G&M by the American Car Company in 1920. ++#

Historical Notes

Popularly called the "Shoebox Ford" for its slab-sided, "ponton" design, the 1949 Ford is credited both with saving Ford and ushering in modern streamlined car design with changes such as integrated fenders and more. This design would continue through the 1951 model year, with an updated design offered in 1952. The crest was designed by Frank L. Engle.^

Historical Notes

The school's original campus, on Glenwood Road, opened in 1929. Named after Herbert Hoover, the school was built to serve the northern foothill area of Glendale, which had experienced a lot of development in the 1920s. The first issue of the school yearbook, Scroll, included copies of letters written by Hoover and his wife, Lou. The school dedicated that issue to Hoover.

The school has been the setting for several television programs and movies, most notably "Because They're Young", which was filmed at the campus during the summer recess in 1959. The original campus, with the exception of the auditorium and physical education facilities, was demolished in 1966 being replaced by a new facility which was completed in 1969. In 1990, due to continual and anticipated growth in the number of students entering Hoover, a 33-classroom facility was built and completed in 1992.^

(1927)*# – Aerial view looking southeast showing the Glendale Airport field in an early configuration with a smaller border (bottom of photo).  Note the peach orchard forming the northern border at lower-right.  The Slate Aircraft Corporation dirigible hangar is visible on the south side of the field (center) and Griffith Park Airport is visible across the river.

Historical Notes

In 1922—with prompting from the Aero Club of California, returning World War I pilots and local aviation enthusiasts who wanted to get in on the exciting new world of flying—the Glendale Chamber of Commerce purchased 33 acres adjacent to the Southern Pacific Railroad tracks, directly across the river from the Griffith Airdrome. They cleared a 1,200-ft. runway for the Glendale Municipal Airport. It opened in March 1923.

Soon after clearing the field, objections were raised for the City’s plans, and a bond issue was unsuccessful, so citizen supporters, led by Dr. Thomas Young, got together to form the Glendale Airport Association. This group bought the City out, and Glendale finally had an official airport.

The first hangar built at Glendale Airport was for the Kinner Airplane & Motor Corporation. Bert Kinner built Amelia Earhart’s first airplane, the Kinner Airster, in 1923. He also manufactured the first government-certified aircraft engine in 1928. +##

Historical Notes

The concept for this airport probably began with Leslie Coombs Brand (1859–1925), a major figure in the settlement and economic growth of the Glendale area. He had purchased land on the lower slopes of Mount Verdugo overlooking the city, and in 1904 built an imposing residence that became known as Brand Castle (which today houses the Brand Library). Just across the mostly dry Los Angeles River he could see the Griffith Park Aerodrome's grass field, built in 1912. Just three years later he decided to build his own grass airstrip below his mansion (Brand Field). He built his first hangar in 1916 and put together a fleet of planes, and held fly-in parties. The only requirement was that guests had to arrive in their own planes and bring passengers.*^

Historical Notes

In 1925, Thomas Slate leased space adjacent to the south side of the Glendale Airport for the construction of an all-metal dirigible, a very novel (but ultimately unsuccessful) design.  The dirigible was made out of duralumin & was filled with hydrogen. It was forecast to have a cruising speed of 80 mph and would accommodate 40 passengers and 5 crew.  The dirigible was to be powered by oil and driven by steam-turbine, using one rotary blower, which would create a vacuum, instead of traditional propellers.  Slate also constructed a metal hangar, the largest built in the United States at the time.*

Historical Notes

Dec. 19, 1929- Thomas Benton-Slate was an entrepreneur who invented dry-ice. This day in the suburb of Glendale, he attempted to fly the first all metal dirigible, the City of Glendale. He brought it out two days ago and it immediately began to pop rivets in the heat and fall apart. So he brought it in for repairs. This day he tried one more time, but the sun’s heat expanded the shell, causing rivets to pop again, followed by a metallic explosion and escaping gas. He had it dragged back into the hanger and forgot about it. *

Historical Notes

The Glendale Municipal Airport was renamed "Grand Central Air Terminal" (GCAT) when it was purchased by other venture capitalists, who expanded it to 175 acres. On February 22, 1929 a terminal with a control tower had been built, and was opened to much fanfare. Designed by Henry L. Gogerty, the intention was to construct an air terminal along the lines of a classic railroad terminal. It combined a style consisting of Spanish Colonial Revival with Zig-zag Moderne influences (Art Deco). GCAT became a major airport of entry to Los Angeles and provided the first paved runway west of the Rocky Mountains. Within a year, the entire enterprise was sold to a group calling itself the Curtiss-Wright Flying Service, managed by Major Corliss C. Moseley, a co-founder of the future Western Airlines. It became the city's largest employer.*^

Historical Notes

In 1947 the runway was cut back to 3,800' (southeast of Sonora Ave) due to pressure from local government. The airport was returned to private use, renamed Grand Central Airport, ceased to be profitable, and was closed in 1959 to make way for the development of the Grand Central Business Park, which today houses corporate offices of the Walt Disney Company as well as the headquarters for Walt Disney Imagineering. For a number of years the Southwest corner was used as a commercial helicopter base. That space is now occupied by the DreamWorks Animation SKG production company. The city of Glendale retains some interest in aviation, for it is part owner of the Bob Hope Airport (formerly "Burbank-Glendale-Pasadena Airport").*^

Historical Notes

The Grand Central Airport Terminal was designed by Henry L. Gogerty in 1928 blending the Spanish Colonial Revival style with Art Deco influences. The Airport first began its service between Los Angeles and New York, and it played a vital role as the premier airport in Southern California. The building represents the simple concept of early airport terminal design, and it is listed on the Glendale Register of Historic Resources.

The airplane shown in this image was a Ford 4-AT Tri-motor owned by the Maddux Air Lines, which carried 12 passengers from San Diego to Los Angeles during its inaugural flight in California.**

Historical Notes

On Easter, 1930, Colonel Lindbergh and his wife, Anne, took off from Glendale (Calif.), bundled up in their bulky, electrically heated flying suits, to test the advantages of weather at high altitudes, and to set new transcontinental records. The sliding canopies, covering both formerly open cockpits, were suggested by Mrs. Lindbergh, who set a women's record for coast to coast flights on this first Lockheed Sirius. The sliding canopies were later put into common use. While the ship was being built, Lindbergh, shy of publicity, was secluded from hero-worshippers in the Hamilton Propeller Shop at the Burbank Field. He seemed happy and relaxed working quietly along with the mechanics. Some who were there have left stories of their admiration for this warm, friendly man, a perfectionist, interested in everything concerning his plane. They fondly told how he politely by-passed invitations from Very Important People, and went to lunch day after day with the crew. On occasions, Mrs. Lindbergh waited for her husband to finish his work in their car, parked in the shade of the hangar. The working crew would bring her sandwiches and cold drinks from the lunchroom nearby. The photograph was probably taken in Glendale, but it is a Lockheed plane, made in Burbank.^  

Historical Notes

The PCA-2 was the first rotary-wing aircraft to achieve type certification in the United States and was used in a number of high-profile activities including a landing on the White House lawn and the first flight across the United States in a rotorcraft. This latter feat was attempted by Amelia Earhart, flying for the Beech-Nut food company, but was actually accomplished by John M Miller who completed his flight nine days before Earhart on 28 May 1931, in his PCA-2 named Missing Link. Learning of Miller's achievement upon her arrival in California, Earhart set out to turn her flight into a round-trip record by flying east again, but abandoned the attempt after three crashes. Earhart set an altitude record in a PCA-2 on 8 April 1931 with a height of 18,415 ft. This record was broken in another PCA-2 by Lewis Yancey who flew to 21,500 ft on 25 September 1932. ^

Historical Notes

Amelia Earhart became famous when she was the first female aviator to fly solo across the Atlantic Ocean in 1928, so it was newsworthy when she landed an autogiro (which is kind of like a helicopter) at Grand Central Air Terminal, Glendale on June 7, 1931. At the time she was attempting the first transcontinental autogiro flight from Newark, NJ to Los Angeles, and landed at about 5 p.m. to replenish her gas supply. At the time, Grand Central was a busy and important airport, and due to its eye-pleasing design and proximity to the movie studios, was often used in the movies.

Historical Notes

The DC-1 was specifically designed for TWA.  Its inaugural flight was on July 1, 1933, but it was nearly the last when both engines quit during the climb out.  After modifications, the new plane met all of TWA’s requirements, most importantly of which was to be able to fly with only one of the two engines.  TWA placed an immediate order for 25 Douglas airliners, but with more refinements as the DC-2.

Historical Notes

The DC-2 was increased in size with a wider diameter fuselage to allow for the taller passengers to stand in the cabin. Its length was increased by two feet to allow for an extra row of seats that increased total seating to 14. There were other improvements as well. The payload was increased, the service ceiling was increased, the speed was increased and even in-flight movies were introduced. The DC-2 was now the most luxurious airliner in the world.

Only four months after the Model 247 entered service, the first DC-2 was handed over to TWA. It flew in record time between Los Angeles and New York. TWA advertised Coast-to-Coast service in a 200 mph luxury airliner called the Sky Chief. Transcontinental flights consisted of four legs from New York (Newark) to Chicago, Kansas City, Albuquerque and Los Angeles. Flights left at 4:00 p.m. and arrived at 7:00 a.m. the next day.

Historical Notes

The Grand Central Air Terminal was designed by Henry L. Gogerty in 1928 in the Spanish Colonial Revival style with zig-zag moderne elements. The terminal is a City of Glendale registered landmark.*

Historical Notes

The DC-3 was a twin-engine metal monoplane, developed as a larger, improved 14 bed sleeper version of the Douglas DC-2. It had many exceptional qualities compared to previous aircraft. It was fast, had a good range and could operate from short runways. Its construction was all-metal. It was reliable, easy to maintain and carried passengers in greater comfort. Before the war it pioneered many air travel routes. It was able to cross the continental United States, making transcontinental flights and worldwide flights possible, and is considered to be the first airliner that could make money by carrying passengers alone.*^

Historical Notes

When Pearl Harbor was attacked on December 7, 1941, Grand Central Airport (like all other west coast airports) was immediately closed to private aviation. (The remaining airlines had already moved to Burbank.) The government moved in, heavily camouflaged the place, and converted it into an important defense base for Los Angeles. In 1942 the runway, which originally ended at Sonora Avenue, was extended North to Western Avenue, giving it a 5,000' length to accommodate large airplanes and future jet aircraft.

After the war, geographic constraints hindered the airport’s ability to accommodate new—and larger—commercial aircraft.

Historical Notes

In 1947 the runway was cut back to 3,800' (southeast of Sonora Ave) due to pressure from local government. The airport was returned to private use, renamed Grand Central Airport, ceased to be profitable, and would eventually be closed in 1959.

The closed airport was then used as a private heliport for the Los Angeles Police Department's fleet of police helicopters, some Bell 47's ("recips") and some Bell 206's ("Jet Rangers"), until the hew LAPD Hooper Heliport opened on top of the Piper Tech Building in downtown Los Angeles in 1983.

The runways were torn out and replaced by a street named Grand Central Avenue. Over 70 new “tilt up” manufacturing buildings were constructed under the direction of the Grand Central Industrial Centre. The redeveloped airport property was eventually purchased by the Prudential Insurance Company and leased out as an investment.

When Walt Disney was developing Disneyland in the early 1950s, he wanted a place away from the main studio where he could work on new ideas undisturbed. He rented an industrial building at 1401 Flower St. on the old airport property. WED (Walter E. Disney) Enterprises also rented the old terminal building during the busy years of Epcot and Disney World development.

Dreamworks was created in 1994, and their new buildings soon appeared on part of the old airport land just down the street from Disney’s leased building. The Disney Corporation soon purchased the remaining land from the airport and have announced a 15-year plan to turn it into a corporate “creative campus” behind security gates.

Disney has stated their intention to rework the old terminal by the year 2015 to its original look. Much of the original metal work, railings and lights have been stripped away over the years, but the Disney representative feels that their company can easily reproduce replacement pieces.

There are also two original hangars left—one very modified into a cold storage facility and the other is now used by Disney Imagineering for special effects mock-ups.+##

Historical Notes

The Grand Central Air Terminal remained untouched until 2012, when its current owner embarked on a project to transform the airport for new uses. The project team rehabilitated the entire property, including the airport concourse, runway, and taxiway.

They completely restored the building’s exterior and significant interior spaces. The team thoroughly researched and meticulously restored, or recreated, missing or degraded character-defining features, such as light fixtures and decorative tile.*

Historical Notes

The Glendale Southern Pacific Railroad Depot (now known as Glendale Amtrak/Metrolink Station) was designed in the Mission Revival Style by architects Maurice Couchot and Kenneth MacDonald, Jr. and built by the Southern Pacific Railroad in 1923; replacing an older one that dated as far back as 1883.^

Historical Notes

Because of the depot's proximity to the film industry in Los Angeles and Hollywood, many movies have been shot there. In the 1930s Buster Keaton filmed "College" at depot, "Horse Shoes" was another. The most well know film with the depot as a background was by director Billy Wilder, "Double Indemnity" in 1944 starring Fred MacMurray and Barbara Stanwyck.*

Historical Notes

The Freedom Train toured the country in 1975–76 to commemorate the United States Bicentennial. This 26-car train was powered by three newly restored steam locomotives. The first to pull the train was the former Reading Company T-1 class 4-8-4 #2101. The second was the former Southern Pacific 4449, a large 4-8-4 steam locomotive that is still operating in special excursion service today. Tthe tour covered all 48 contiguous states and lasted from April 1, 1975, until December 31, 1976. More than 7 million Americans visited the train during its tour, while millions more stood trackside to see it go by.^

Historical Notes

The depot has undergone minor remodels in 1943, 1954 and restored in 1999 and 2012. In 2015, the unstaffed depot served 10 Pacific Surfliners, 54 Metrolinks trains weekdays, and 12 Antelope Valley Line trains Weekends and was the 37th busiest Amtrak station in the state with 100 passengers daily*.

Historical Notes

The City of Glendale bought the depot from Southern Pacific in 1989 and acquired adjacent properties to create an intermodal center. Restoration of the historic building and the construction of other elements of the intermodal center cost approximately $6 million.^

Historical Notes

The depot (now known as Glendale Amtrak/Metrolink Station) was added to the National Register of Historic Places on May 2, 1997 - #97000376, and has undergone an extensive renovation since then. The Glendale train station is located at 400 Cerritos Avenue.^

Historical Notes

In 1925, Thomas Slate leased space adjacent to the south side of the Glendale Airport for the construction of an all-metal dirigible, a very novel (but ultimately unsuccessful) design.  The dirigible was made out of duralumin & was filled with hydrogen. It was forecast to have a cruising speed of 80 mph and would accommodate 40 passengers and 5 crew.  The dirigible was to be powered by oil and driven by steam-turbine, using one rotary blower, which would create a vacuum, instead of traditional propellers.  Slate also constructed a metal hangar, the largest built in the United States at the time.*

Historical Notes

The most severe flood recorded in Glendale occurred in 1934. Intense precipitation on New Year’s Eve, 1933 occurred locally in the La Canada Flintridge area, causing the Verdugo Wash to swell and overflow its then natural channel. Extensive areas of the drainage basin had burned earlier, in November 1933, causing large amounts of debris. The debris was carried by the storm waters down the mountains, and into the alluvial valleys, where several roads were choked. Damage was not confined to Verdugo Wash, but extended to several of the canyons draining the eastern and southern flanks of the Verdugo Mountains, and also in Sycamore and Scholl Canyons. Several people died, several bridges were washed out, and erosion and sedimentation damaged property.^

Historical Notes

Wildfires above the Crescenta Valley in November 1933 and subsequent heavy rain in December 1933 produced the perfect conditions for a massive flood. Just after midnight on January 1, 1934, millions of tons of mud and debris traveled from the mountains down to the Verdugo Wash, killing many people and destroying about 400 homes in the communities of La Cañada, La Crescenta, Montrose and Tujunga. Woody Guthrie's song, "Los Angeles New Year's Flood," commemorates the natural disaster.*

Historical Notes

E.C. Eaton, the County Flood Control District’s chief engineer at the time, estimated that 600,000 cubic yards of debris came down in just 20 minutes. He called for the completion of a flood-control system.

A federal Flood Control Act was signed in 1936, and the Verdugo Flood Control Project came into being.

Historical Notes

Verdugo Wash is a 9.4-mile-long tributary of the Los Angeles River in the Glendale area.  The stream begins just south of Interstate 210 in the Crescenta Valley. It flows southeast along the eastern edge of the Verdugo Mountains, then south through a pass between those mountains and the San Rafael Hills, and finally west to ultimately join the Los Angeles River just northeast of Griffith Park. Its entire path is located within the city of Glendale.*^

Historical Notes

Today, the Verdugo Wash is entirely encased in a concrete flood control channel with the exception of the free-flowing stream inside the Verdugo Wash Debris Basin Dam.*^

Historical Notes

Photo caption reads:  “Capt. Lyle Rosenberg (left), and Lieut. F. E. Ressegieu inspecting the completed basin. Waters from the wash will spill down the concrete and steel stairs (background), and then into the basin in the foreground. A 10-foot concrete wall will cut the water's speed before it goes into the riverbed, lessening the flood hazards.”  Photo dated: December 2, 1938.

Historical Notes

Between February 27 and 28, 1938, a storm from the Pacific Ocean moved inland into the Los Angeles Basin, running eastward into the San Gabriel Mountains. The area received almost constant rain totaling 4.4 inches from February 27-March 1. This caused minor flooding that affected only a few buildings in isolated canyons and some low-lying areas along rivers.

Fifteen hours later on March 1, at approximately 8:45 PM, a second storm hit the area, creating gale-force winds along the coast and pouring down even more rain. The storm brought rainfall totals to 10 inches in the lowlands and upwards of 32 inches in the mountains.  When the storm ended on March 3, the resulting damage was huge -- 115 lives were lost.

Historical Notes

Click HERE to see more in 'Los Angeles River The Unpredictable'

(ca. 1940)##^ - Glendale Police Department Officer I. A. Robinson on an official-issue Harley Davidson motorcycle.

Historical Notes

In 1936, after separating from his brother, Charles E. Carpenter opened three Carpenter's Cafes. A transitional project Carpenter's Village (606 E. Colorado) combined a Rite Spot Cafe and Carpenter's Drive-in (seen above). Next he opened the Rite Spot Cafe in Pasadena, located at 1500 West Colorado Street (now considered Eagle Rock) and the Santa Anita Cafe at Huntington and Colorado.^

Click HERE to see more Early LA Drive-in Restaurants.

Historical Notes

The old Sears advertising slogan “Come to Sears Brand Central” has a special meaning in Glendale, as this Sears is situated between Brand Blvd. and Central Ave.  Completed in 1935, this was the first Sears store in the world to be custom-built as such. Up until that point, Sears-Roebuck had taken over existing structures.^

Historical Notes

Between 1937 and 1938 the architectural firm of Nimmons, Carr and Wright designed similar Late Moderne style Sears Roebuck and Company Department Stores in Illinois, Maryland, Michigan and Glendale California. The Glendale Sears features large sign towers, glass brick window panels and a long series of display windows covered by an awning along the street. The Glendale store, located at 236 North Central Avenue, is still standing today although it has been remodeled.^x*

(1930s)* – View looking north showing Sears Roebuck and Co. located at 236 N. Central Ave. Notice how the house on the right had been repurposed as a clinic.  Though the structure is long gone, a medical clinic still occupies the lot just south of the Sears today. Click HERE to see contemporary view.

(1930)* - View showing North Central Avenue in Glendale. The building on the right has a Radio service shop, Beauty Shoppe, "Billie Bird Market" and a drug store. The building on the left has "Bradstreet Market Groceries & Meats" and a dry goods shop. In the center left there is a building with rooms for rent and a Community service station with tire repairing.

Historical Notes

Sontag Drug Stores was one of the largest drug store chains in the U.S. in the 1930’s & 1940’s.  It was also one of the first to allow customers to browse and choose their own products rather than requesting them from a clerk behind a counter. 

All in all, there were 16 Sontag Drugs located in Los Angeles, and another 32 in other locations – for a total of 48 stores.  Their Los Angeles headquarters was located at the corner of Wilshire Blvd. and La Cienega Blvd. (torn down and replaced at one time with the Flynt Building).^

Historical Notes

The Glendale Theatre opened on October 28, 1920. In February 1940 it became a district 2 Fox West Coast Theatre.*

(1940s)^^* – View looking northeast showing the Glendale Theater located at 122 S. Brand Blvd.  The Glendale Music Co. is seen just to the north of the theater.

Historical Notes

The Glendale Theatre was twinned on June 13, 1980 and later closed, last operated by Mann Theatres. It was demolished in 1995-1996.*

A DSW Shoes is now located where the Glendale Theatre once stood. Click HERE for contemporary view.

Historical Notes

Built in 1927 and occupied in 1928, the California Hotel, along with the Glendale Hotel (Broadway and Glendale Ave), were the city’s “nicest places” for visitors to stay in the 1930s and 1940s.  The California was among only a few hotels in greater Los Angeles that included a full-sized theater.

Historical Notes

When motels became popular in the late 40s and thereafter, popularity of the California Hotel began to fade.   The hotel was demolished in 1966 and replaced with a Bank of America building. 

Click HERE to see contemporary view.

Historical Notes

The California Theatre was opened on December 25, 1928. In February 1940 the California Theatre was taken over by Fox West Coast Theatres as a District 2 house. It was still open in 1956, but had closed by 1957.  By 1959 the theatre was converted into a furniture store, Scott's Furniture.

Historical Notes

Designed by architects Charles R. Selkirk and Arthur G. Lindley with an emphasis on Greek and Egyptian themes, the Alex Theatre (originally known as the Alexander) opened its doors as a Vaudeville and motion picture house in 1925. In 1940 by S. Charles Lee added the 100 foot tall Art Deco tower. Included in Lee's design were the three-sided marquee, outdoor ticketing kiosk, and the decorative terrazzo floor crested in bright tropical colors.^

Historical Notes

The Alexander officially opened its doors on September 4, 1925. It was operated by the West Coast-Langley Theatre Circuit and featured vaudeville performances, plays and silent movies on a single screen. It was named after Alexander Langley, the son of C.L. Langley, owner of the West Coast chain that included the Raymond Theater in Pasadena, and the Orange Theatre in the city of Orange.*^

Historical Notes

The Alex Theatre Performing Arts and Entertainment Center has been the centerpiece of the Glendale's arts, culture and community events since it originally opened. It is managed by Glendale Arts, a non-profit organization. The theater's diverse schedule boasts roughly 250 events per year and attracts more than 100,000 patrons annually. Programs range from classical and contemporary concerts, theatre, dance, comedy, fundraising and special events as well as TV and film productions and industry related award presentations.

Resident companies include the Alex Film Society, Glendale Youth Orchestra, Musical Theatre Guild, and the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra.

The Alex Film Society regularly schedules classic films, often accompanied with special guests (e.g., the annual Thanksgiving weekend tradition "Three Stooges Big Screen Event," which children, grandchildren, and other relatives of the Stooges often attend), live musical performances of the film's soundtrack and vintage photos.*^

Historical Notes

Webb’s department store was the cornerstone of shopping for the Glendale community.  It was locally owned and operated and expanded to several other buildings nearby.

Harry S. Webb came to Glendale in 1916 from Chicago, convinced that California offered a great opportunity for a department-store business.  His first Webb’s store was near the corner of Brand Boulevard and Broadway.

Historical Notes

For nearly 50 years after its founding, Webb's was the only major department store in Glendale. But it began to get competition--first from Robinson's when it opened at the Fashion Center in 1966 and later from stores in the Galleria, which opened in two phases, in 1976 and 1982. With the Galleria's completion, shoppers in Glendale could choose from among such department stores as The Broadway, Buffum's, J. C. Penney, Mervyn's and Nordstrom's. *^^

Historical Notes

In the 80s it was House of Fabrics, and then Joann's fabrics after that.

Historical Notes

This corner is still occupied by a Ralphs supermarket, but the Art Deco structure, designed by Stiles Clements, has since been demolished and replaced with a larger store.  Click HERE for contemporary view.

Historical Notes

Baskin-Robbins originated as separate ice cream ventures by Burt Baskin and his borther-in-law Irv Robbins: Burton's Ice Cream Shop and Snowbird Ice Cream, respectively. Snowbird, offering 21 flavors, merged with Burton's in 1953, expanding to 31 flavors. By 1948, they had six stores and began franchising. The first franchise was in Glendale in the store seen above. In 1953, the company adopted the 31 flavors theme and a circus-inspired design. The company name evolved from Huntington Ice Cream Company to Baskin-Robbins. The founders owned the company until its acquisition by United Brands in 1967. The brand went international in the 1970s and introduced ice cream cakes to the public.

Historical Notes

The first franchise was established on May 20, 1948, in Glendale (in the building seen above), and by 1953, the company adopted the Baskin-Robbins name and introduced the iconic "31 flavors" concept. Known for its innovative approach, Baskin-Robbins has introduced over 1,300 flavors since 1945 and created themed flavors for special events.

Historical Notes

Baskin-Robbins went through several ownership changes, including acquisitions by United Fruit, J. Lyons and Co., and Allied Domecq. In 2006, private equity firms purchased Baskin-Robbins, and Dunkin' Brands became independent in 2012, later acquired by Inspire Brands in 2020. Today, Baskin-Robbins has over 8,000 locations worldwide, has introduced vegan and non-dairy flavors, and launched a new logo and tagline, "Seize the Yay," in 2022. The company's success is attributed to its commitment to flavor innovation, quality, and adaptability to changing consumer preferences.

Historical Notes

The Vogue Theatre was a short-lived movie theater in Glendale, operating from 1941 to approximately 1955. Located at 735 S. Brand Boulevard, it was designed by architect Paul Hartman and opened on November 11, 1941, with a seating capacity of 735. Situated on the west side of Brand Boulevard, just north of Windsor Road, the theater was operated by Grover Smith, who also managed the nearby Cosmo Theatre. The Vogue's final known newspaper listing appeared on April 20, 1955, featuring Kiss Me Kate and Valley of the Kings. After its closure, the building underwent significant renovations and repurposing. Today, it houses part of a Nissan car dealership, with its original architectural features largely obscured by extensive modifications.

Two Pacific Electric streetcars coupled together in early Southern California were commonly referred to as a "two-car train" or a "double-header." This coupling allowed for increased passenger capacity on popular routes, and each car would have its own motorman and conductor to handle the additional load and ticketing efficiently.

Historical Notes

Today, the former site of the Vogue Theatre at 735 S. Brand Boulevard in Glendale, is occupied by a Nissan car dealership. The building, once a vibrant movie theater, has been extensively modified, with the front now serving as a showroom for Glendale Nissan. The former auditorium area is likely used for support services or office space, as evidenced by new door configurations along the building's sides. While the original building’s shell may remain, the iconic marquee is gone, and the structure’s original architectural features are largely unrecognizable. Interestingly, an adjacent auto body shop at 737 Brand Boulevard, built in 1941, aligns with the theater's construction date.

Historical Notes

The Googie-style building located at 600 E. Colorado Street was designed by John Lautner. This beautiful building no longer stands.

The price for a brand new 1949 Mercury woody wagon (as seen above) was a whopping $2,500.00.

Historical Notes

Bob's Big Boy, originally called Bob’s Pantry, was a 10-stool hamburger stand at 900 E Colorado St in Glendale. It was opened for $350 by 23-year-old former busboy Bob Wian, who raised the money by selling his car.

Historical Notes

In the early months of 1937, about six months into operation, one of Bob Wian's friends walked into the joint and reportedly asked for a different kind of hamburger. Jokingly, Wian added a second patty with a bun in between, inventing the double-decker burger, which to his surprise, suddenly took off.

According to legend, Wian named the sandwich the Big Boy Burger after six-year-old customer Richard Woodruff, who used to come in on his own and stay at the counter eating multiple burgers until his grandmother would come in and drag him out. Woodruff also became the restaurant's original mascot after another regular customer, Warner Bros. animation artist Ben Washam, doodled the kid's caricature on a napkin one day while eating lunch. Wian saw it and asked to buy it, but Washam gave it to him for free.

Historical Notes

The original Bob's Big Boy, initially called Bob's Pantry, was founded by Bob Wian in 1936 at 900 E Colorado St, Glendale. This location started as a 10-stool hamburger stand and quickly grew into a full-service drive-in restaurant, becoming a local landmark with its eye-catching neon lights in the 1940s.

Historical Notes

The chain is best known for its trademark chubby boy in red-and-white checkered overalls holding a Big Boy sandwich (double-decker cheeseburger). The inspiration for Big Boy's name, as well as the model for its mascot, was Richard Woodruff (1936–1986), of Glendale, California. When he was six years old, he walked into the diner Bob's Pantry as Bob Wian was attempting to name his new hamburger. Wian said, "Hello, Big Boy" to Woodruff, and the name stuck.

Historical Notes

The Glendale location, like other Bob's Big Boy restaurants, became a cultural icon over the years. It served as a popular hangout spot for families, teenagers, and car enthusiasts, contributing to the local community's social fabric.

Historical Notes

The architect behind the design of the original Bob's Big Boy was Wayne McAllister. McAllister was a renowned architect who played a significant role in shaping the iconic look of Bob's Big Boy restaurants.

Historical Notes

Bob’s Big Boy became a cultural icon for Glendale teenagers in the 1940s up until the 1970s.  After the widely popular Glendale and Hoover High School football games, lines of cars filled with local students would eat at Bob’s Big Boy on Colorado Street.

The original location at 900 E Colorado St was eventually demolished, and what stands there now is a typical Californian mini mall. Other Bob's Big Boy locations in Glendale, such as those at 3212 La Crescenta Ave and 115 W Broadway, have also been transformed and no longer serve as Bob's Big Boy restaurants.

In 1967, Bob Wian sold Bob's Big Boy to Marriott Corporation for $7 million. At that time, the chain had already expanded significantly, and Marriott continued to grow it, reaching a peak of about 1,200 locations. However, by the late 1980s, Marriott sold the Big Boy trademark to Elias Brothers, who then faced financial difficulties, leading to a bankruptcy filing in 2000. Today, the Big Boy chain operates about 70 locations in the United States, with five of those in Southern California:

Burbank/Toluca Lake at 4211 W. Riverside Drive, Burbank
Northridge at 8876 Corbin Avenue, Northridge
Downey at 7447 Firestone Boulevard, Downey
Norco at 3521 Hamner Avenue, Norco
Calimesa at 616 W Avenue L, Calimesa

Historical Notes

Opened May 17, 1948 rebuilt and reopened December 1956 at 121 E. Broadway Ave.  The building still stands, but many remodeling jobs over the years have left it unrecognizable. It now houses a Chinese restaurant.  Click HERE for contemporary view.

Historical Notes

The above building is still there.  Click HERE for contemporary view.

Historical Notes

The Currie's Ice Cream chain was started in 1927 by three brothers named Kuhns. After WWII they sold it to the Good Humor Company who later sold it to Lipton in the 1960s. In 1964 the chain opened its 87th store, in North Hollywood. Although Currie’s anticipated launching units in every community in Southern California, only three outlets were listed in the 1967 Los Angeles phone book and the chain had disappeared by the 1980s.*

Historical Notes

Since 1947, The Great White Hut has been located on the corner of Orange and California in Glendale. Staying open until 3am, it really becomes a great white beacon of hope after the bars let out and you realize IN N OUT has long since closed. For such a tiny spot, its menu is surprisingly large.

Historical Notes

The Great White Hut is a tiny little building in the corner of a parking lot, white walls with bright blue trim, surrounded on three sides with a black-and-white checker-board tile counter. Stools with blue posts and red seats, shaded by a blue-and-white awning.

Historical Notes

Painted on one side of the Hut is a life-sized portrait of James Dean, and on the other side is a portrait of Marilyn Monroe.

Click HERE to see Contemporary Google View.

Historical Notes

Henry's was known for its "Chicken in the Rough" meal. Also for its Fried Chicken Livers and Gizzards. Click HERE to see menu.

Historical Notes

The Glendale Federal Savings Building was completed in 1959.

Scott's Furniture (seen on the left) is in the space where the California Theatre was once located (1928-1957).

Historical Notes

As head designer for the Bank Building and Equipment Corporation of America, Peruvian-born architect W. A. Sarmiento designed hundreds of Modern-style bank buildings all over the country. One of the most renowned and best-loved is right here, in Glendale: the Glendale Federal Savings and Loan Building on Brand Boulevard.

Glendale Federal founder and president J. E. Hoeft wanted an ambitious design for his bank’s new headquarters, something not only representative of West Coast Modernism, but of his burgeoning hometown. He offered a prime site at the corner of Lexington and Brand, and Sarmiento delivered a dynamic design that would prove to be an icon of Southern California Modernism.

Completed in 1959, the Glendale Federal Savings Building features a vertical, dramatically angled red stair/elevator tower fronting the main volume, which is a rectangular ten story high-rise.*

Historical Notes

The tower is actually lifted above the building’s first floor, allowing the mezzanine level to be lit with natural sunlight.* 

Historical Notes

Architect Maxwell A. Starkman produced a design for an addition in 1962 that doubled the size of the office building and harmonized with Sarmiento's original design.

On the building’s fire brick red corner tower, a vertical sign proudly displayed its name for all to see as this was the city’s tallest building for many years.  The corner tower functions as fire escape and elevator tower.  The main cube structure is framed by concrete and glass with windows framed in aluminum, forming a grid of blue and white colors during the day, and glowing light with the louvers open at night. 

Historical Notes

The building’s many windows are shaded by distinctive blue enameled steel louvers which use solar power to pivot throughout the day.

Historical Notes

Set at a 45 degree angle to the city grid, Hoeft gave Sarmiento the perfect site to create a bold architectural statement that for decades has been known as the “tower” of Glendale, featured on postcards, and described by Los Angeles architectural historian Robert Winter as “pure 1950s razzle dazzle.”  **

Historical Notes

Glendale Federal Savings and Loan was bought out by Cal Fed in 1998 and the company moved its headquarters up the street.  The building was subsequently sold to Nicholson Vertex Partners, who indicated their intent to remodel the building and to remove its character defining architectural features.  In late 2000, the Glendale Historical Society, Los Angeles Conservancy, and concerned preservationists united to wage a preservation campaign that resulted in the building’s listing on the California survey of historic landmarks.  With that listing, any permit to remodel required an environmental impact analysis. **

Historical Notes

Largely retaining its architectural integrity, Glendale Federal Savings is the embodiment of distinguished mid-century modern architecture with enduring significance by retaining its central form and character.  Viewed from any elevation, Glendale Federal Savings became the symbol of the new downtown through its design, color, size, and dynamic presence, which is unlike any other architecture in the region.**

The building now houses the Hollywood Production Center.

Historical Notes

Today Glendale Fashion Center is anchored by Ross, TJ Maxx, Nordstrom Rack, Staples, and Petco. Click HERE for contemporary view.

Historical Notes

Developed by Glendale Associates, a partnership between J.S. Griffiths Co, Broadway Hale Stores and M.J. Brock & Sons, the Glendale Galleria opened on October 14, 1976.  The architect was Jon Jerde, who credited his design to a Ray Bradbury essay on reviving retail districts.  The mall began with four anchor stores: Buffum's and The Broadway, which opened in August 1976; Ohrbach's, which opened in October, 1976; and JCPenney, which opened in November of that year.

The Galleria's first expansion, Galleria II, was completed in 1983.  It expanded a wing of the mall and added another anchor store, Nordstrom.  The first Panda Express restaurant opened in Galleria II in the same year, on level 3 near Bloomingdale's.*^

Historical Notes

When incorporated in 1906, Glendale consisted of only 1,486 acres.  By 1920, the City had grown through nine annexations to over 7,000 acres. From 1920 to 1930, ten annexations brought the total area to 12,294 acres.
The period 1930 to 1950 established many small annexations culminating in the 2,160 acre Whiting Woods and Verdugo Mountains annexations. This brought the area of the City to 15,140 acres or 23.6 square miles. Two major annexations, New York Avenue (in the La Crescenta area) and Upper Chevy Chase Canyon, and several smaller annexations enlarged the City to 29.2 square miles by 1952. Since 1952, twenty-seven annexations have occurred. The largest of these was the 662.8 acre Inter-Valley Ranch, now known as the George Dukemejian Wilderness Park. Currently the City consists of 30.5 square miles with a population of over 200,000.

Historical Notes

As of 2014, Glendale had a population was 200,167, making it the third largest city in Los Angeles County and the 23rd-largest city in California.

Glendale has one of the largest communities of Armenian descent in the United States.  In 2013, Glendale was named LA's Neighborhood of the Year by the readers and editors of Curbed.com.

Forest Lawn Memorial Park Cemetery contains the remains of many noted celebrities and local residents. Grand Central Airport was the departure point for the first commercial west-to-east transcontinental flight flown by Charles Lindbergh.*^

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