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

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

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. The 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*

(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.*^

Please Support Our Cause

Water and Power Associates, Inc. is a non-profit, public service organization dedicated to preserving historical records and photos. 

Your generosity allows us to continue to disseminate knowledge of the rich and diverse multicultural history of the greater Los Angeles area; to serve as a resource of historical information; and to assist in the preservation of the city's historic records.