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

Historical Notes

In 1939, the San Fernando Valley was in a transitional phase, with areas like Van Nuys and North Hollywood leading the way in urban development. Van Nuys boasted the Valley's tallest building, its City Hall, and was developing a grid-like urban structure.

Historical Notes

The area was becoming increasingly residential to accommodate its growing population. While much of the Valley remained agricultural, the seeds of suburban expansion were being sown, with infrastructure expanding and major boulevards being established or widened. The impending World War II would soon accelerate this development, as returning veterans would settle in the Valley in large numbers in the following years. Despite the growing urbanization, the Valley still maintained a distinct character from Los Angeles proper, with vast areas of open land and farmland coexisting with the emerging urban centers.

Historical Notes

Built in 1932 as the Valley Municipal Building and designed as a miniature of Los Angeles City Hall by architect Peter K. Schaborum, Van Nuys City Hall gained recognition as a Historic-Cultural Monument in 1978.

Historical Notes

Originally, the Valley Municipal Bulding housed a Hospital in one wing of the base and the Police Department and Municipal Court, complete with jail, in the other. With the population growth in the fifties and sixties, the hospital and police station were eventually relocated to roomier sites, and the building was remodeled to house other City offices.

Historical Notes

On October 18, 1978, the Valley Municipal Building (Van Nuys City Hall) was declared Los Angeles Historic-Cultural Monument No. 202 (Click HERE to see complete listing).

Historical Notes

Chitsett Avenue was named after William P. Whitsett who is remembered by some as the "Father of Van Nuys." He was also a major land developer and water official in Los Angeles. The street was first known as Encino Avenue.

Victory Boulevard was named in honor of the Valley's World War I veterans in 1924. The segment west of Balboa Boulevard did not open until 1955.

Click HERE to see more SFV Street Name Origins.

Historical Notes

In 1944, Bing Crosby’s recording of “San Fernando Valley” reaches No. 1 on the charts, no doubt prompting plenty of GIs to move here after the war.

Historical Notes

When soldiers returned to California from World War II, many of them settled in the San Fernando Valley, at that time mostly farmland, where lots were affordable and pre-fab homes available. Some people literally built their own houses.

Historical Notes

Birmingham General Hospital (later Birmingham Army Hospital) was built in Van Nuys in late 1943 and early 1944 to serve as both a general hospital and a debarkation hospital. Originally named Van Nuys General Hospital, it was soon renamed in honor of Named for Brigadier General Henry Patrick Birmingham, Medical Corps, U.S. Army.  Its stucco buildings had 1777 beds, of which 800 were devoted to debarkation activities.^

Historical Notes

The hospital had a small prisoner of war compound. Due to its location so close to Hollywood, many radio and movie stars visited patients at the hospital. Jack Benny even broadcasted his annual Christmas Part from the hospital in 1944.

Historical Notes

In 1946 Birmingham became a VA hospital, which closed in June, 1950, just as the Korean War was about to begin. The combination Birmingham Jr High/High School opened in 1955.

Historical Notes

The VA closed the hospital in 1950. After 1950 the facility was converted into local use for public schools, while the army retained a piece for use in the air defense of Los Angeles. Part of the former Birmingham Army Hospital facility was used as an air defense missile battalion headquarters from 1956 to 1968.^

Historical Notes

Spence Air Photos was a one-man company ~ photographer, "Robert Earl Spence". He began shooting aerials in 1918. In the 1920s he had numerous clients hiring him to shoot homes and businesses. Spence would shoot images at an angle, not straight down, showing many additional building details. Spence was not a pilot, he hired an airplane pilot to fly him overhead while he leaned out from the cockpit with a bulky camera to get angled shots of the landscape. His method captured the details of the homes and their surroundings all the way to the horizon. He continued to photograph homes for 50 years.

In 1971, Spence retired and donated his collection of 110,000 negatives to the University of California Geography Department. He passed away in 1974.****^

At UCLA, the Spence Collection is part of The Benjamin and Gladys Thomas Air Photo Archives.

Historical Notes

In the 1930’s, Northridge Milling Co was known as North Los Angeles Feed Store and located 1 block further north.  It changed names alongside the name change of the town to Northridge. In early 1952, the business changed hands and was then called Brown’s.

Originally called Zelzah, the town that we call Northridge today was renamed North Los Angeles on July 1, 1929. In 1938, this area of the San Fernando Valley was renamed Northridge Village. Few evidences of the "village" remain.

Historical Notes

Mr. A.G. Rowlands built a market on the corner of Devonshire and Zelzah early in 1933. This grocery store has changed hands several times, but has been in continuous operation since its opening. #^#^

Historical Notes

Chatsworth is a more developed street than Devonshire at this time because it was the main street of Granada Hills. Lassen is the street on the extreme left. It was a dirt road between Zelzah and Lindley. Lindley didn't go through to Devonshire until the the Police station was built in 70s or 80s. The historic cedar trees on White Oak between San Jose and Chatsworth are visible.

Historical Notes

In 1943, Helen Dillman and Pete Spears purchased 40 acres for $80,000 with plans to construct a harness racing track, but a wartime construction moratorium temporarily put the project on hold. Weekly Sunday afternoon harness races, called matinees, began in 1946.*^

Historical Notes

The State of California bought the property for $140,000 in 1948, at which time it also became the home of the 51st District Agricultural Association's annual San Fernando Valley Fair. *^

Historical Notes

Devonshire Downs later became a venue for concerts and other events, including rodeos.

Historical Notes

The Downs hosted annual fireworks shows and the Scoutcraft Fair, but entertained its largest crowd the weekend of June 20-22, 1969. Newport '69, which drew at least 200,000 people, was the nation's biggest outdoor rock festival until Woodstock, headlined by Jimi Hendrix, Eric Burdon, Marvin Gaye and others. In 1959 the expanding San Fernando Valley State College (now CSUN) claimed the land for expansion, but in 2001 virtually the entire site was razed for a private industrial park under lease to the school.

Historical Notes

In the summer of 1969, an estimated 200,000 people—a record number at the time—dropped in to the sun-drenched Devonshire Downs racetrack in Northridge (now part of the CSUN campus) to hear a stellar list performers including Jimi Hendrix, Joe Cocker, Creedence Clearwater, The Rascals, The Byrds, Booker T. & the M.G.’s, Ike & Tina Turner, Eric Burdon, Jethro Tull, Marvin Gaye, The Grass Roots, Three Dog Night and Johnny Winter.

List of Performers:

Friday, June 20, 1969:  Ike & Tina Turner, Albert King, Edwin Hawkins Singers, The Jimi Hendrix Experience, Joe Cocker, Southwind, Spirit and Taj Mahal.

Saturday, June 21, 1969:  Albert Collins, Brenton Wood, Buffy Sainte-Marie, Charity, Creedence Clearwater Revival, Eric Burdon and War, Friends of Distinction, Jethro Tull, Lee Michaels, Love, Steppenwolf and Sweetwater.

Sunday, June 22, 1969:  Booker T. & the M.G.'s, The Chambers Brothers, The Flock, The Grass Roots, Johnny Winter, Marvin Gaye, Mother Earth, Jimi Hendrix jam with Buddy Miles, Eric Burdon and Mother Earth, Poco, The Byrds, The Rascals and Three Dog Night.*^

Historical Notes

The Heaven on Earth Ranch, first located in Glendale, California (later moved to Lake View Terrace), was available for visitors to come and spend a day with the horses and enjoy the mock western town that served as the ranch's backdrop.#^

Historical Notes

The Rivoli Theatre opened in 1921 at Sherman Way near Erwin Street.  That chunk of Sherman later got renamed Van Nuys Blvd. The address is listed as 6262 Van Nuys Blvd. in the 1926 city directory, 6260 in 1928, 6258 in the 1939/40 directory with it being called the Fox Rivoli.

By 1959 or 1960 the building got remodelled and emerged as the Capri Theatre. The theater closed in the early 70s and was demolished for a Federal Building parking lot. The theatre's former location is now part of the site of the Van Nuys / City of LA Braude "Constituent Service Center." The theatre was just north of Erwin which now dead ends at Van Nuys Blvd. What had been Erwin east of Van Nuys Blvd. is a pedestrian walkway between the City of LA building and the Federal Building to the south.^

Historical Notes

The California Bank building was built in 1911 by H.J. Whitley and was originally known as the Bank of Van Nuys. The building is now the Country General Store and has been family owned since 1956.*^^^

Historical Notes

Television usage in the United States skyrocketed after World War II with the lifting of the manufacturing freeze, war-related technological advances, the gradual expansion of the television networks westward, the drop in television prices caused by mass production, increased leisure time, and additional disposable income. While only 0.5% of U.S. households had a television in 1946, 55.7% had one in 1954, and 90% by 1962.

By the late 1960s and early 1970s, color television had come into wide use.*^

Historical Notes

In 1955, only 10 percent of U.S. households had a clothes dryer, probably because they were expensive. Back then, the average price for a dryer was $230. Adjusted to today’s dollars, that lowly laundry appliance would have cost between $2,000 to $3,000.^

Historical Notes

The Van Nuys Drive-In was one of many Pacific drive-ins that had murals on their screen towers. The outdoor theater opened in 1948 and parked 891 cars. It lost its mural and original screen tower when it became a tri-plex drive-in.^**^

Historical Notes

During its last year, it was the last drive-in located in the San Fernando Valley. As Pacific Theatres closed the theater, its marquee said “closed for the season”. That season never came.

The Van Nuys Drive-In sat empty for a few years and was being used to store cars from a nearby dealership. It was demolished in the late-1990’s.

Historical Notes

Steel magnate Henry J. Kaiser had a motto: "Find a need and fill it." After World War II, Kaiser and land developer Fritz B. Burns realized returning GIs would need homes and plenty of them. Kaiser Homes bought about 400 acres of the Panorama Ranch dairy farm with plans to build 3,000 two- and three-bedroom homes. With $500 down, a veteran could purchase a two-bedroom home for $10,000. For Kaiser, whose father went blind and daughter died due to improper medical care, healthcare was a priority. Central to the plan for Panorama City was the Permanente Hospital. It was renamed Kaiser Permanente in 1953.

Historical Notes

The General Motors Assembly plant started production in 1947. It was one of the first major industrial companies to come to the San Fernando Valley and aided in its transformation from an agricultural to a suburban/industrial area.

Historical Notes

The importance of industry to the Valley’s development is vividly illustrated in the last two views of the GM Assembly Division plant at Van Nuys. The top picture was taken in early 1948, less than a year after the plant began operations. Five years later, about the same time of year in 1953, as shown in the lower photo, thousands of homes had been built on acreage that was undeveloped real estate when the plant was built.

Historical Notes

The GM/Chevrolet Manufacturing Plant on Van Nuys Boulevard opened its doors in 1947, marking the beginning of a significant era for automotive manufacturing in the San Fernando Valley area of Los Angeles. This facility was established during the post-World War II industrial boom, reflecting the growing demand for vehicles in the rapidly expanding Southern California region.

Initially, the plant's primary focus was on producing Chevrolet Advance Design trucks, which were popular in the post-war period. The opening of this facility was a major economic development for the area, creating numerous job opportunities and contributing to the local economy.

The plant's establishment was part of General Motors' strategy to expand its manufacturing capabilities and meet the increasing demand for automobiles in the western United States. Its location on Van Nuys Boulevard was strategic, providing good access to transportation networks and a growing workforce in the San Fernando Valley.

Historical Notes

Over time, the plant would evolve to produce a wide range of GM vehicles, including popular models like the Chevrolet Impala, Corvair, and later the Camaro and Pontiac Firebird. The opening of this plant in 1947 set the stage for decades of automotive production that would significantly impact the local community and economy until its eventual closure in 1992.

Historical Notes

"The Plant" officially opened in 1947 and produced GM models such as the Chevrolet Corvair, Nova, Camaro and the Pontiac Firebird. When in full production, the plant employed 3,500 workers and helped to expand industrial, commerce and residential development.

Historical Notes

Flooding on Van Nuys Boulevard was a significant issue in the San Fernando Valley during the late 1940s and 1950s, primarily due to rapid urban development and inadequate flood control infrastructure. 

Click HERE to see more on Flooding in the San Fernando Valley.

Historical Notes

The GM Plant assembled Camaros and Firebirds on the same line.

Historical Notes

The GM assembly plant in Van Nuys, California, which opened in 1947 and operated until 1992, was a significant automobile manufacturing facility during the 1960s. It produced several popular Chevrolet models, including the Impala, Biscayne, Corvair, Chevelle, and Nova. Known for its versatility, the plant often built multiple models on the same assembly line and was recognized for producing unique and high-performance vehicles, such as special order cars with powerful engines and limited production performance models. At its peak, the Van Nuys plant employed nearly 3,000 workers and played a vital role in the post-World War II industrial boom in Southern California. With its 68-acre facility and flexible manufacturing capabilities, the plant contributed significantly to General Motors' production network and the American automotive landscape during this iconic decade.

Historical Notes

The GM Assembly Plant was closed in 1992 when Camaro/Firebird production was moved to Sainte-Thérèse Assembly in Quebec.

The site was razed in 1998. A retail and industrial complex, known as The Plant, was built on the 68-acre site, as well as Station 81 of the Los Angeles Fire Department. The retail portion totals 365,000 square feet and is home to 35 retail stores and restaurants. A 16-screen movie theater honors the site history with an automotive theme décor. GM continues to operate a car-testing facility on 27 acres next to The Plant.

Historical Notes

Panorama City is known as the San Fernando Valley's first planned community. In 1948, it was developed as such by residential developer Fritz B. Burns and industrialist Henry J. Kaiser. The master plan was created by architectural firm Wurdeman & Becket.  Burns, seeing the tremendous potential fortune that could be made as large numbers of World War II veterans came home and started families, teamed up with Kaiser in 1945 to form Kaiser Community Homes. The vast majority of the houses were bought with loans issued by the FHA or the Servicemen's Readjustment Act of 1944, better known as the G.I. Bill. Homes in the area were sold with racially discriminatory covenants. A "Conditions, Covenants, Restrictions" document filed with the county recorder declared that no Panorama City lot could be "used or occupied by any person whose blood is not entirely that of the white or Caucasian race."  Such restrictive covenants, which sometimes also limited ownership to people "of the Christian faith", were common in many communities at the time, and although rendered legally unenforceable by the Civil Rights Act of 1968 they may still be found on some older property deeds. De facto integration was accelerated by the Community Reinvestment Act of 1977. The CRA-insured credit was provided to the entire community without regard to race or income, causing white flight as with many other areas of the San Fernando Valley.  During the period of desegregation busing, Panorama City was exempted due to its diversity.

In its history, Panorama City was once adjacent to General Motors' largest assembly plant to date. Today, the Van Nuys Assembly plant has been replaced with a large shopping center named The Plant, which includes stores and restaurants such as Regency Theatres, Ross, Babies "R" Us, The Home Depot, Hometown Buffet, Blaze Pizza, In-N-Out Burger, Starbucks Coffee and others.

Panorama City touches Mission Hills on the north, Arleta on the northeast, Sun Valley on the east, Valley Glen on the southeast, Van Nuys on the south and North Hills on the west.  For the most part, the community is a mixture of small single-family homes and low-rise apartment buildings.*^

Historical Notes

During 1955-1964, the Panorama Mall featured over 100 stores including the department stores Broadway, Robinson’s, Montgomery Ward, and Orbach’s. The center was enclosed in 1980 under ownership of The Macerich Company. Broadway closed its doors in 1996 and the first Walmart Super Center opened in May 1998. This was the first Walmart in the City of Los Angeles and first multi-level Walmart in the United States. La Curacao opened in 1995 focusing on hard goods and changed their name to Curacao in 2012. The mall was purchased by Primestor Development in November 2015.^

Historical Notes

The Broadway–Valley shopping center, as it was then known, opened on October 10, 1955, as a single strip of stores along Van Nuys Blvd. north of Roscoe Blvd, with 89,000 square feet  of retail space adjacent to and sharing a parking lot with a 226,000-square-foot Broadway department store designed by architect Welton Becket. Silverwoods, Mandel's, Kinney Shoes, Lerner's and Woolworth were the other stores in the complex.^

Historical Notes

The shopping center’s anchor department stores opened as follows:

The Broadway, opened October 10, 1955, 226,000 square feet, 3 stories, currently Walmart

Montgomery Ward, opened September 13, 1961, 154,537 square feet, 2 stories, closed in 2001, building currently empty

J. W. Robinson's, opened on June 27, 1961

Ohrbach's, opened October 7, 1964, 115,000 square feet, 7.5-acre site, cost $5 million to build, currently the Valley Indoor Swap Meet. ^

Historical Notes

The new Valley Robinson’s was the fifth outlet for the company, which was founded in Los Angeles in 1883 by Joseph Winchester Robinson.*

Historical Notes

With the opening of Orbach's department store in 1964. . . Panorama Mall was the ONLY shopping center in the Valley that had 4 major department stores: Broadway, Robinson’s, Montgomery Ward, and Orbach’s.

Historical Notes

People would come from across the Valley to do their shopping here.  The Panorama shopping district had a hundred-plus shops including several major department stores such as Broadway, Robinson’s, Montgomery Ward, and Orbach’s. Perhaps not the most attractive feature of Panorama City, a testimony to the lively retail economy of the time, was 18 acres of parking lots.

Historical Notes

Photo caption dated October 27, 1954 reads "Contractors are rushing to complete work on the new Panorama Market located at 10321 Sepulveda Blvd. at Devonshire Street. Company officials revealed today it will open during November. This new layout pictured above embraces 55,000 square feet of floor space and among its many features will be a free check cashing booth, free parking for hundreds of cars and unlimited one-stop shopping facilities at one of the most modern shopping centers with the latest innovations in the Southland. Ground for the project was broken last Spring. Arthur Froehlich is architect."

Historical Notes

The Orcutt Ranch, formally called Rancho Sombra del Roble, was the vacation and retirement estate of William Warren Orcutt and his wife Mary Logan Orcutt. The adobe residence, as well as the estate’s garden, ranch structures, oak trees, and citrus orchard have historic significance because of the distinction of its owner W.W. Orcutt, pioneer of the oil production industry in California and discoverer of the prehistoric fossils at the La Brea Tar Pits.

In January 22, 1965, the City of Los Angeles designated a 24-acre portion of the estate as Los Angeles Historic-Cultural Monument No. 31 (Click HERE to see complete listing), which included the residence, ranch structures, garden, oaks, and citrus orchard. At that time, Mrs. Orcutt was still residing within the adobe residence. One year later, the City of Los Angeles, Department of Recreation and Parks, acquired the property, preserving the site.*^^*

Historical Notes

Rancho El Escorpión was a 1,110-acre Mexican land grant given in 1845 by Governor Pío Pico to three Chumash Native Americans - Odón Eusebia, Urbano, and Mañuel.

In 1871, Miguel Leonis, of the historic Leonis Adobe in Calabasas, acquired Rancho El Escorpión. He used the land for cattle and sheep herds. Leonis took control of the rancho and added land by bullying, litigating, or buying up homesteaders. Though illiterate and only speaking Basque, he was often in court, with over thirty property disputes recorded. He hired Mexican and Malibu Chumash gunmen to expand his lands by threatening homesteaders and squatters.

In 1850 Miguel Leonis, took Espiritu, the daughter of a Chumash chief Odón Eusebia , as his wife and moved to the base of Castle Peak. When Leonis died, he left only a small portion of his estate to Espiritu, who retained lawyer Horace Bell to acquire the whole of the estate.

As payment for legal services rendered, Espiritu gave Bell some of the land.  Bell's son Charles, also a lawyer and Calabasas Justice of the Peace in 1906, later built his home there. The community of Bell Canyon derives its name from Charles.

Historical Notes

The Leonis barn was demolished by developers in the 1960's and the entire little valley filled in.

In the late 1960s, the land, then a 1,700-acre cattle ranch, was purchased by Spruce Land and Boise Cascade, subdivided and named Woodland Hills Country Estates.  One year later, the new subdivision of Bell Canyon went on the market and almost all of the 700 lots sold during the first weekend.*##*

The remaining land, encompassing parts of present day West Hills and Woodland HIlls, was also quickly developed.

Historical Notes

Between February 27th and March 3rd, 1938 Los Angeles was inundated with two storm systems delivering record breaking rainfalls. By March 3rd, the San Gabriel Mountains received 32 inches of rain, more than their average yearly total, and Los Angeles received over 10 inches of rainfall over the 5-day storm. 115 people lost their lives, thousands more were evacuated, over 6000 homes were damaged or destroyed, and 108,000 acres - one third of Los Angeles - was flooded. The San Fernando Valley, Venice, Compton, and Long Beach were the worst hit. The Los Angeles River was completely warped - new inlets were carved by the rushing water and the channels in areas shifted, nearly as much as a mile.

Total channelization of the river began a few months later. With funding from the Works Progress Administration and the federal government as a result of the Flood Control Act, contractors and construction crews worked around the clock under the supervision of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, lowering and widening the channel and cementing the banks and river bottom. By the end, 20 years later, contractors had moved "twenty million cubic yards of earth (roughly 800,000 dump truck loads worth).*

Historical Notes

After the great flood of 1938, the Army Corps of Engineers took the lead role in channelizing the river and constructing several dams which would create flood control basins behind them. Channelization began in 1938, and by 1960, the project was completed to form the present fifty-one mile engineered waterway. Included in this work were Hansen Dam, completed in 1940 and followed by Sepulveda Dam in 1941.*^

Historical Notes

For 28 years the Sepulveda Dam did its job without incident until 1969 when the Los Angeles River overflowed its banks causing millions of dollars in damage. In 1988 the Los Angeles River's banks were raised to avoid another incident. In 1994 a hundred-year flood occurred in the Los Angeles River. The dam was restored and went without incident for another 11 years until the Los Angeles River again overflowed its banks in 2005.*^

Historical Notes

Since 1938, 278 miles of river and tributaries were retrofitted and more than 300 bridges were built. With the river encased in cement, the natural sharp turns were now straightened. Any evidence of vegetation was completely removed, allowing runoff from the San Gabriel Mountains to escape through the river and out of Long Beach at up to 45 miles-per-hour. Streets and sewers were connected to drains along the river, designed to quickly capture and move rainfall away from the surrounding streets.**^^

Historical Notes

To this day, despite the flood control channels, flooding still occurs in certain intersections of the San Fernando Valley especially after heavy rains.

Historical Notes

In the 1950s, Valley residents who wanted to learn to ski might have considered Harold Larson's Viking Ski Center at 13733 Ventura Boulevard in Sherman Oaks.

Historical Notes

The above photo was taken from atop the next-door ferris wheel at Kiddyland.

Historical Notes

Thanks to its geographic location and its proximity to entertainment industry businesses, Studio City has served as the home for eclectic restaurants and nightclubs providing a variety of amusement and atmosphere. Several film industry professionals operated their own niteries, such as screen villain Jack La Rue and Academy Award winning cinematographer James Wong Howe. Others featured eclectic decoration or strong celebrity clientele. Some venues hosted variety performers entertaining guests, such as clubs at 11502 Ventura Blvd. and 12449 Ventura Blvd.*

Historical Notes

The semaphore traffic signals used in Los Angeles in the 1920s - 1940s were manufactured by the Acme Traffic Signal Company. These signals had "Stop" and "Go" semaphore arms that would pop up, along with small red and green lights and bells that would ring to indicate the change in signal. The semaphore signals had a third, smaller yellow light at the bottom that would flash to indicate caution.

Acme semaphores were used in Valley until the mid-1950s, when they were replaced by the standard three-light traffic signals we see today.

Click HERE to see more Early Los Angeles Semaphores.

Historical Notes

The West Valley Freeway Flyer service began in 1959 as part of efforts by the Los Angeles Metropolitan Transit Authority (MTA) to provide faster and more efficient commuter bus service. The Freeway Flyer service promised to "melt miles and minutes off the map" by using the newly constructed freeways to bypass traffic congestion on surface streets. In the early years, the Freeway Flyer service started with just 4 buses per day from the San Fernando Valley, but quickly grew to 15 buses per day as ridership increased.

The MTA found that wherever they established Freeway Flyer express and limited-stop service, ridership increased significantly, with one line seeing a 39% increase and another 32%. This early success with the Freeway Flyer concept encouraged the MTA that a modern, fast mass transit system could attract many drivers to leave their cars at home and ride the buses instead.*

Historical Notes

The longtime diner opened the Studio City location in 1948. This expansion was the first after Du-par's debuted at the Original Farmer's market in 1938.

Historical Notes

The first Du-par's was founded in 1938 at the Los Angeles Farmers Market by James Dunn and Edward Parsons, who combined their surnames to create the restaurant's name. The chain was purchased in 2004 by an investor group led by W.W. "Biff" Naylor, the son of noted California restaurateur Tiny Naylor. Du-par's expanded in 2009 to include several locations from the bankrupt Bakers Square chain.^

Historical Notes

The Studio City location closed its doors for good on December 31, 2017.

The building is currently (2019) occupied by Sephora. Click HERE for contemporary view.

Historical Notes

11502 Ventura Blvd. has hosted a revolving clientele of clubs since at least 1936, when Rex’s White Cabin operated at the location. The Everglades premiered at the location in December 1939, featuring singing star Beth Williams, accompanied by Harry Powell and his Gladesmen, per the December 7, 1939 Van Nuys Valley News. The club offered dinner and dancing, and such special cuisine as Chicken a la Maryland.

The Zomba Café proffered colorful entertainment to men looking for a little excitement, opening in 1941. A blurb in the September 5, 1942 issue of Variety stated, “Unusual atmosphere at the Zomba Cafe, 11502 Ventura Blvd. Radio’s Jimmy Jackson greets you with song. Also orchestra leader Eugene Jackson (formerly of Our Gang Comedies) gives you “a bit of Africa.” (Jackson played Farina’s older brother, “Pineapple,” in Our Gang Comedies).*

Historical Notes

Zomba operated mostly as an upscale burlesque club for men looking for an “afternoon delight,” with B-girls performing on raised and separate platforms as well as in choreographed numbers, per the American Guild of Variety Artists yearbook. Comedians acted as emcees, trying to inject some humor and energy into proceedings, especially between acts. Atmosphere and decorations carried an African and safari theme, suggesting exotic pleasures.*

Historical Notes

Sometime in 1968 the Zomba Café closed, replaced by current tenant, the gay cowboy bar, Oil Can Harry’s (closed in 2021).

Historical Notes

The Encino film Theatre opened in August 10, 1949 and was located at 16342 Ventura Blvd. The theater featured two hours of entertainment nightly; a feature, a short and a newsreel at one admission price. The theater held 1,000 seats which were staggered to provide clear views from every chair. The bottom half of the marquee is advertising the 1948 film noir, "They Live by Night." *^^^

Historical Notes

Love's Wood Pit BBQs were a chain of barbeque restaurants, known for their delicious BBQ sauce, tender meat and smokey wood pit flavour that were located primarily on the West Coast of the US in the late '60s and early '70s.
A victim of increasing competition, ownership changes and infighting within the company, they began disappearing around the late '70s.*

Historical Notes

This photo was originally identified as being in Canoga Park because of the large sign seen on the corner. But if you look underneath the "Canoga Park" sign there is an arrow pointing right (north) on Topanga Cyn. Blvd.

Historical Notes

This photo was originally identified as being in Canoga Park because of the large sign seen on the corner. But if you look underneath the "Canoga Park" sign there is an arrow pointing right (north) on Topanga Cyn. Blvd.

Historical Notes

Snow fell in the San Fernando Valley and in most of Southern California during a 3-day storm from Jan 9 through Jan 12, 1949.

Historical Notes

In a Jan. 10, 1999, Los Angeles Times article, columnist Cecilia Rasmussen wrote:

On Jan. 10, 1949, in the middle of the worst housing shortage in Los Angeles history, more than half an inch of snow covered the Civic Center. The San Fernando Valley was pelted with the unfamiliar white stuff for three days, accumulating almost a foot.

The rare snowfall produced wondrous vistas and unexpected difficulties, as some motorists besieged with frozen radiators were trapped in their cars in Laurel Canyon for several hours.

Historical Notes

The Lark was an overnight passenger train of the Southern Pacific Company on the 470-mile run between San Francisco and Los Angeles. It became a streamliner in 1941 and was discontinued on April 8, 1968. The Lark ran along the same route as the Coast Daylight and was often pulled by a locomotive wearing the famous Daylight paint scheme of orange, red, and black.

Historical Notes

The Coast Daylight, originally known as the Daylight Limited, was a passenger train on the Southern Pacific Railroad (SP) between Los Angeles and San Francisco, California, via SP's Coast Line. In the eyes of many the "most beautiful passenger train in the world," it carried a stunning red, orange, and black color scheme.

Historical Notes

The Coast Daylight operated from 1937 until 1974, one of the few passenger trains retained by Amtrak in 1971. Amtrak merged it with the Coast Starlight in 1974.

Historical Notes

The Original Chatsworth Depot was built in 1893 near the intersection of Marilla and Topanga. Chatsworth's second depot (seen above) was built around 1910, located south of Devonshire Street on the west side of the tracks.

Historical Notes

By the early 1960s the above Chatsworth Depot fell into disuse and was razed by Southern Pacific (December, 1962).

In 1997 a new depot and town center was erected between Devonshire and Lassen streets.

Historical Notes

Completed in 1933, Reseda Park was made possible through federal funding by the New Deal Agency: Reconstruction Finance Corporation (RFC).  The Annual Report from 1932-33 of the Los Angeles Board of Park Commissioners reads: 

“Reseda Park is one of the city parks located in San Fernando Valley at Reseda and Etiwanda Avenues, Kittridge Street, and Victory Boulevard. Being forty acres in area it provides a delightful recreational spot for the residents of San Fernando Valley.

A great deal of improvement was accomplished during 1932-1933 with the help of the RFC and County Welfare workmen. Fifteen hundred lineal feet of walks were built, involving the grading of 600 cubic yards of dirt, and lining the walks with 2,100 lineal feet of 1×4 redwood curbing. The flood channel for 1,450 feet was improved necessitating the removal of 2,250 cubic yards of dirt. Three acres of park land were cleared and eight acres graded, removing 2,400 cubic yards of dirt. New picnic grounds were also built, totaling two acres. A new sprinkling system was installed necessitating the laying of 10,880 lineal feet of pipe. Improving the park from a landscape standpoint, 520 trees were trimmed, 350 trees moved, 1,280 new trees planted, 7,520 new shrubs planted, and 24,700 flowering plants were placed in the shrub beds and around the banks of the lagoon. About five acres of ground were planted in new grass. One pergola was also built and a new comfort station constructed in the picnic grove. This park is becoming very popular with residents of the San Fernando Valley for picnic suppers during the extreme warm weather.” **

Historical Notes

The HOLLYWOODLAND sign was erected in 1923 to advertise a new housing development in the hills above the Hollywood district of Los Angeles. In 1949 the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce contracted to repair and rebuild the sign. The contract stipulated that “LAND” be removed to reflect the district, not the housing development.* (Click HERE to see more in Early Views of Hollywood).

Historical Notes

The Ventura Freeway wasn’t built until the late 1950s and opened on April 5, 1960.*^

Historical Notes

The Valley Plaza Mall was built in 1951 and, at the time, was the largest mall west of the Mississippi River. It was the first mall in the U.S. geared toward the automobile and was built in anticipation of the yet to be completed Ventura and Hollywood Freeways.^*#

The 101 Freeway from Ventura to its intersection with the Hollywood Freeway in the southeastern San Fernando Valley in Los Angeles (the Hollywood Split) was built in the late 1950s and opened on April 5, 1960. East of the Hollywood Freeway intersection, it is signed as State Route 134 which was built by 1971.*^

The Hollywood Freeway (Route 170) between the Ventura Freeway and the Golden State Freeway (Interstate 5) was completed in 1958.*^

Los Angeles Valley College was founded on September 12, 1949 to meet the tremendous growth of the San Fernando Valley during the 1940s and early 1950s. The college was officially chartered by the Los Angeles Board of Education in June 1949, and was located on the campus of Van Nuys High School. In 1951 Valley College moved to its permanent 105-acre site on Fulton Avenue in Valley Glen.*^

Historical Notes

McDaniel’s Markets was an independent supermarket chain which featured a jaunty Scotsman as their mascot and a tartan pattern as a key design element in their ads and on stores. By mid-1957, McDaniel’s had six stores, located in North Hollywood, Beverly Hills, East L.A., Maywood and Baldwin Park, according to the Los Angeles Times. That year, McDaniel’s bought out the six-store Walker’s Market chain, and between those stores and additional units built over the years, the company eventually grew to almost 25 stores. In the early 60’s McDaniel’s went bankrupt, selling their choicest locations to Food Giant Markets.*

Historical Notes

Before being acquired by CVS Health in 2008, Longs Drugs was a chain of over 500 stores, located primarily on the West Coast of the United States. They had stores located in California, Hawaii, Nevada, Arizona, Alaska, Colorado, Oregon, and Washington, and was headquartered in Walnut Creek, California.*^

Historical Notes

At 165-feet tall and 35-feet wide, it was the tallest building in the San Fernando Valley when its steel frame and precast wall sections rose out of the Valley Plaza Shopping Center in 1960. In those days its 100 thriving stores and shops made up what was believed to be the largest retail complex west of Chicago.^^^

Historical Notes

The Los Angeles Federal Savings and Loan Assn. spent $1 million on the building, including land and construction costs. Modernist architects Douglas Honnold and John Rex were hired to give the project the maximum bang for its buck.^^^

(1976)#^# – Postcard view of the Los Angeles Federal Savings Building, located at 12160 Victory Boulevard, North Hollywood. The Valley Plaza sign is seen across the street.

Historical Notes

In 1976, a Bicentennial mural was commissioned by LA Federal Savings.

Several financial institutions have operated the Victory Boulevard building over the years. Its current owner is Wells Fargo Bank.^^^

Historical Notes

Until the early 1980s, every Thrifty store featured a tube tester, usually located near the cosmetics display case. Vacuum tubes were still used in a wide variety of consumer electronics such as TVs and radios, and the local Thrifty store was a convenient place to test them and purchase replacements. Thrifty published a brochure helping customers diagnose which tubes might be responsible for various TV malfunctions. The brochure also provided numbered stickers to aid consumers in reinstalling working tubes in their correct sockets.

Thrifty PayLess Holdings, Inc. was a pharmacy holding company that owned the Thrifty Drugs and PayLess Drug Stores chains in the western United States.  In 1996, Rite Aid acquired 1,000 West Coast stores from Thrifty PayLess Holdings, creating a chain with over 3,500 drug stores.

Rite Aid preserved the Thrifty Ice Cream brand because it won numerous awards in its history, and remained well-known for its affordable prices, quirky flavors, and iconic cylinder-shaped scoops.*^

Historical Notes

There were at least two other Van De Kamp’s coffee shops in the San Fernando Valley.  One was at San Fernando Road and Fletcher Drive.  The other, was on the southeast corner of Roscoe Blvd and Reseda Blvd, where the Facey Medical Building is located today.

Historical Notes

Russell C. Wendell, a doughnut machine salesman, created the Big Donut Drive-in. There were 10 locations, built over the course of the 1950s. At least five Big Donuts survive: they are Kindle's Donuts in unincorporated Westmont (this is the original location, built in 1950), (2) Randy's Donuts in Inglewood near LAX, the Donut King II in Gardena (3), Dale's Donuts in Compton (5), and Bellflower Bagels in Bellflower (8). Each features the distinctive giant doughnut constructed of rolled steel bars covered with gunite, a material used in swimming pools. Five Big Donuts have been demolished. They were located in Culver City (4), North Hollywood (6), Inglewood (on Imperial Hwy, 7), Van Nuys (9) and Reseda (10).

The building style dates to a period in the early 20th century that saw a proliferation of Programmatic Architecture throughout Southern California. This style had its heyday from the mid-1920s to the mid-1930s. By the 1950s however, the trend of designing structures in the shape of the product sold there had changed to focus on signs rather than architecture itself.*^

Click HERE to see more examples of Programmatic Architecture.

Historical Notes

Valley Times photo captions reads: “Clear skies in Van Nuys - November, 1954. A 15-mile visibility could be seen with no smog in sight. The City had recently changed the home incinerator burning hours from morning to evening. Landmarks noted include Van Nuys High School, Saint Elisabeth Catholic Church, and the former VA hospital in Sepulveda.”

Historical Notes

Photograph caption dated September 23, 1955 reads, "Special left turn only lanes, known as shadow lanes, are being used in Van Nuys on Van Nuys boulevard from Oxnard to Vanowen streets. This view is looking north on Van Nuys at Victory boulevard. Left turn lane is immediately to the left of normal center line. This is first time in Los Angeles such lanes have been painted on rather than constructed of raised concrete or bars." ++#

Historical Notes

Herald Examiner photo caption reads: ‘Said to be the busiest intersection in Los Angeles, it is a far cry from former years when traffic in Van Nuys was light’.

Historical Notes

During the 1960s, the commercial district along Van Nuys Boulevard continued to thrive. The boulevard was bustling with activity, with a wide range of shops, restaurants, and entertainment venues. Shopping centers, such as the Van Nuys Fashion Square, provided residents with convenient access to various retail options.

Historical Notes

Cupid's was originally established in 1946 as Walsh's Hot Dogs by Richard and Bernice Walsh. Shortly thereafter Richard changed the name to Cupid's; which was Bernice's nickname. For nearly 40 years Richard and Bernice ran the North Hollywood, Van Nuys and Canoga Park locations.

In the early 80's their long haired surfer son Rick took over.  2009 brought on the 3rd generation of Walsh's to continue the Cupid's tradition. Sisters, Kelly and Morgan Walsh, have now taken the reigns.++^^

Historical Notes

Today, there are the 3 locations still owned and operated by the original founding family:  Canoga Park, Simi Valley, and Northridge.  The Victory and Tyrone Cupid's seen above no longer exists.  It’s now just a parking lot.

Historical Notes

Today, a Denny's Restaurant is located on the site where the Lankershim and Burbank Cupid's once stood. Click HERE for contemporary view.

Historical Notes

During the War many streetlights throughout the City were blacked-out on top as a preventative measure. Click HERE to see more in Early Views of Los Angeles Streetlights.

Historical Notes

*These early signals, manufactured by the Acme Traffic Signal Co., paired “Stop” and “Go” semaphore arms with small red and green lights. Bells played the role of today’s amber or yellow lights, ringing when the flags changed—a process that took five seconds.

Historical Notes

The Klump Building was demolished after sustaining damage in the 1994 Northridge Earthquake.

See the intersection of Lankershim and Chandler in: 1891 / 1924 / 2018

Historical Notes

The El Portal has a great history. It was the final theatre to be designed by prolific theatre architect Lewis Arthur Smith. Seating was provided for 1,346 on a single floor and the decorative style was Spanish Renaissance Revival. Movies, supported by a vaudeville show ran here for several years, until the arrival of talkies.

Vaudeville played an important part in the first decades of El Portal, as live acts were used as added incentive to bring people in to see the newfangled silent pictures, starring the first stars of Hollywood, such as Charlie Chaplin, Buster Keaton and Laurel and Hardy. In fact, to measure an audience's response to their films, both Laurel and Hardy were known to frequent El Portal, slipping in after the audience was seated for showings of their own films. Oliver Hardy lived for many years nearby in Van Nuys, golfed at the in Toluca Lake, died in North Hollywood and is buried there.

Harold Lloyd also used to listen to the laughter of audiences watching his films at El Portal. He and his brother were silent partners in the Shreves Filling Station, which was then on Lankershim across from the theater.*

Click HERE to see more Early Views of the Portal Theatre.

Historical Notes

Even before large daily newspapers were widely circulated in the San Fernando Valley, residents had many places to turn for news. In the 1880s, it was The San Fernando Comet and the Burbank News. In the 20th Century, they could catch up on local happenings with such community newspapers as San Fernando Valley Press, San Fernando Valley Reporter, San Fernando Valley Journal, Sylmar Breeze, Sherman Oaks Sun, Studio City Graphic, Encinian and Woodland Hills Reporter.^^^

While the newspaper building seen above was later demolished and replaced with a large apartment complex, many of the commercial buildings seen across Magnolia Blvd. (left of center) remain standing.*

Historical Notes

Originally located at 1534 N. Cahuenga Boulevard in Hollywood, Lewis Dean Mosher moved his business to this location in 1942. After retiring his son, Merill, operated the business until he also retired. The original structure on Burbank Blvd is no longer there, but the house next door, where Lewis Dean and his wife lived starting in 1927, is still there. Click HERE for Contemporary View.

Click HERE to see original Hollywood location.

Historical Notes

The Foodtime Market grocery store, located in the turreted building now occupied by the Valley Village post office, was the largest business in the historic district and operated from 1950 until sometime in the late 1960s.^

Historical Notes

VALLEY VILLAGE – The history of Valley Village went back to the 1930s, when workers at nearby motion picture studios built houses there. The local post office on Magnolia Boulevard canceled all mail with a "Valley Village" postmark. It was, however, officially a section of North Hollywood.  The idea of separating Valley Village from North Hollywood was brought into public light with a meeting of about 300 homeowners at Colfax Avenue Elementary School in December 1985, yet it wasn't until 1991 that Valley Village got seven new blue reflective markers from the city of Los Angeles to mark its borders.

Historical Notes

For more than 50 years Rathbun's Department Store was key shopping location in the San Fernando Valley. Established before malls, Rathbun's was one of the few high style stores in the Valley. Shopping downtown Los Angeles was an occasion for holidays.

Hall Rathbun started the store on Pico Boulevard (near where the Staples Center is today) in the early 20th century and moved it to North Hollywood around 1914.  In 1972, Rathbuns was sold to Nahas Department Stores, which didn’t last too many years after that.^

Historical Notes

Interesting facts: Amelia Earhart bought her clothes and shoes there. Raquel Welch worked with her mom on the switchboard for a while.^

Historical Notes

The station still stands and is in use as a coffee house. It is located at Lankershim and Chandler Boulevards. The former Southern Pacific Railroad right-of-way along Chandler has been converted into a bus rapid transit line.

Historical Notes

When it first opened in 1895, the train depot at the corner of Lankershim Boulevard and Chandler Boulevard was crucial to the rapid growth of the town that was first called Toluca, then Lankershim, and finally, North Hollywood.

The depot still stands today, is one of the oldest existing structures in the San Fernando Valley.  It has been named a cultural and historic monument by the city of Los Angeles and is slated to be restored.^*#

Click HERE to see earlier views of the above station, when it was called Lankershim Station.

Historical Notes

The line ran from North Hollywood through Universal City to the Subway Terminal Building in downtown Los Angeles.*

Historical Notes

Operation of the Pacific Electric Red Car through to Owensmouth and San Fernando began in 1911 and was terminated in 1938; thereafter the terminus was at Van Nuys Boulevard and North Sherman Way.  On December 28, 1952, busses over the Hollywood Freeway replaced all rail service to the San Fernando Valley on this line.^***^

Historical Notes

Pacific Electric Railway trolleys ran down the center of the Hollywood Freeway through Chauenga Pass until 1952.*^

Historical Notes

This Valley Times photo-diagram shows where rail lines will be relocated down the center of the new freeway link. Traffic leading into the Valley will follow the lane on the right of the tracks; that leading to Hollywood will stream down a parkway at the left of the rail lines. Lankershim boulevard traffic onto the freeway's Hollywood-bound lane will go under the freeway and rise on a looped ramp as shown at left. Lankershim traffic into the Valley-bound freeway lane will follow the road at upper right. To get onto Lankershim from the right hand freeway lane, cars will use the road shown in right lower foreground.

Historical Notes

The bridge/tunnel was built as part of the Cahuenga Freeway; it is now known as the Lankershim/101 Freeway Bridge and Tunnel.

Historical Notes

The bridge/tunnel was built in 1948 as part of the Cahuenga Freeway; it is now known as the Lankershim/101 Freeway Bridge and Tunnel.

The corner where the billboard is seen (left of center) was named Yitzhak Rabin Square in 1995 in honor of the slain Israeli Prime Minister.*

Historical Notes

Signal Gasoline company was founded by Samuel B. Mosher in 1922. It renamed itself to Signal Gas & Oil in 1928 to reflect its expanding businesses; by the 1950s, Signal was the largest independent oil company on the West Coast of the United States and Mosher held large stakes in American President Lines and Flying Tiger Line. In 1964, Signal merged with the Garrett Corporation, an aerospace company, and the combined company adopted "The Signal Companies" as its corporate name in 1968.

The merger of Allied and Signal made aerospace the new company's largest business sector.  The combined company adopted the name Allied-Signal in 1985. It dropped the hyphen to become AlliedSignal in 1993 to reinforce a one-company image and signify the full integration of all of its businesses. In 1999, AlliedSignal acquired Honeywell for $15 billion and took its more-recognizable name.*^

Historical Notes

Builders Emporium was started in the San Fernando Valley in 1946.   Victor M. Carter bought the ailing Van Nuys hardware store in 1949. He introduced the concept of a self-service hardware store with a "do it yourself" training component that became the model for The Home Depot. Carter built Builder’s Emporium into a leading self-serve retail operation and the largest hardware store in the United States, selling it in 1956, to acquire controlling interest in Republic Pictures just a few years later. The chain was later acquired by Wickes which dismantled its operation in 1989. Builders Emporium was forced to close in 1993 after its former parent had a number of financial problems during the previous decade.*^

Historical Notes

During the 1870s, Adolphus Busch toured Europe and studied the changes in brewing methods which were taking place at the time, particularly the success of pilsner beer, which included a locally popular example brewed in Budweis (largest city in the South Bohemian Region of what is now Czech Republic). In 1876, Busch introduced Budweiser, with the ambition of transcending regional tastes. The ability to transport bottles made Budweiser America's first national beer brand, and it was marketed as a "premium" beer.*^

Historical Notes

Woodley Avenue was named for Frank A. Woodley, a county supervisor and state legislator. Laid out as Alvarado Avenue north of Roscoe Boulevard in 1916.

Roscoe Boulevard derives from the town of Roscoe, now Sun Valley. The thoroughfare originated as a plowed furrow that extended the length of the Valley and marked the boundary between the Lankershim Ranch on the south and the Maclay-Porter ranches on the north.^*

Click HERE to see more SFV Street Name Origins.

Historical Notes

Founded in 1852, and incorporated in 1875, Anheuser-Busch Companies, Inc. is the largest brewing company in the United States, and the world's largest brewing company based on revenue. The then-small St. Louis, Missouri brewery was owned and operated by Eberhard Anheuser, who brought in his son-in-law Adolphus Busch as a partner in 1869. In 1876, Busch introduced America's first national beer brand: Budweiser, followed (years later) by several other brands, such as Busch, Michelob, and Bud Light to name a few. With the death of Anheuser in 1880, Busch became president of the company, subsequently becoming the first U.S. brewer to use pasteurization to keep beer fresh, the first to use artificial refrigeration and refrigerated railroad cars, and the first to bottle beer extensively.*

In 1955 the airport was still known as the San Fernando Valley Airport. It would be renamed Van Nuys Airport in 1957.*^#

Historical Notes

By 1957, Anheuser-Busch had become the largest brewer in the United States.*

In 1966, Anheuser-Busch transformed a cabbage patch adjacent to the Van Nuys brewery into a tropical beer garden and bird sanctuary. Click HERE to see more on Busch Gardens.

Historical Notes

Rennie’s Theatre was opened in 1925. In the early-1960’s it was operating as the Crest Theatre. It was still open as a movie theatre in the San Fernando Valley as of January 20, 1980, showing Spanish language films and re-named Azteca Theatre. It is now operating as the Living Hope Community Church. Click HERE to see current (2016) view.

Historical Notes

One of the valley’s first Chevrolet dealerships was opened Dec 1, 1937 by partners Martin Pollard and Thomas C Carrell. Pollard, with various partners, went on to own seven car dealerships in the valley. Both Pollard and Carrell got heavily involved in politics; Carrell served as an assemblyman and state senator in the 60’s and 70’s. In the 1960’s, Carrell bought out Pollard, renaming the San Fernando dealership Tom Carrell Chevrolet.

The dealership changed hands a few more times, including: Dan Hedrick Chevrolet (1983), Bill Murphy Chevrolet (1991) and Rydell Chevrolet.

Historical Notes

The junction of State Route 118 with State Routes 99 and 6 was at Maclay and San Fernando. The 118 proceeded north on Maclay to Foothill and then to the La Crescenta Valley and Pasadena.

The City of San Fernando was founded in 1874. Click HERE to see San Fernando in the 1800s.

Historical Notes

The store closed its doors in July 2012 despite having historical significance to the San Fernando community.  J.C. Penney has had a store open in San Fernando since 1920.*^^^

Historical Notes

By 1950, Reseda had over 16,000 residents and in the early 1950s, a population explosion took place, making Reseda one of the most popular and populated of all Valley communities. Because of this, Reseda's merchants provided bus service to transport shoppers throughout the busy downtown Reseda areas.*^

Historical Notes

Russell C. Wendell, a doughnut machine salesman, created the Big Donut Drive-in. There were 10 locations, built over the course of the 1950s. At least five Big Donuts survive: they are Kindle's Donuts in unincorporated Westmont (this is the original location, built in 1950), (2) Randy's Donuts in Inglewood near LAX, the Donut King II in Gardena (3), Dale's Donuts in Compton (5), and Bellflower Bagels in Bellflower (8). Each features the distinctive giant doughnut constructed of rolled steel bars covered with gunite, a material used in swimming pools. Five Big Donuts have been demolished. They were located in Culver City (4), North Hollywood (6), Inglewood (on Imperial Hwy, 7), Van Nuys (9) and Reseda (10).

The building style dates to a period in the early 20th century that saw a proliferation of Programmatic Architecture throughout Southern California. This style had its heyday from the mid-1920s to the mid-1930s. By the 1950s however, the trend of designing structures in the shape of the product sold there had changed to focus on signs rather than architecture itself.*^

Click HERE to see more examples of Programmatic Architecture.

Historical Notes

The Reseda Theatre carries the original design of famed architect S. Charles Lee, 1948.  The upper facade was a picture frame, a design element found in a couple of Lee’s post-WW II designs.  In lieu of a marquee, the Reseda carried a sign board, placed for reading by passing cars.  Lee’s works included the Los Angeles & Tower Theatres in downtown LA, the Inglewood Academy Theatre, the Beverly Hills Fox Wilshire Theatre (today, Saban Theatre) and the stunningly beautiful San Luis Obispo Fremont. 

Lee’s born name was Simeon Charles Levi.  Levi/Lee’s parents bought a furniture store from a Mr. Lee.  Rather    than change the store’s name, the family changed their name. - Shel Weisbach, author of Pathways of the San Fernando Valley

Historical Notes

The Reseda Theatre was opened in 1948 and closed in 1988. The marquee of the Reseda Theatre was seen in the 1997 film “Boogie Nights”.

In June 2016 plans were announced to convert the theatre into a multiscreen cinema which will be operated by Laemmle.^**^

Historical Notes

Photo title reads, "Aerial view shows new $5,000,000 Reseda High School, the first complete high school plant constructed in Los Angeles since before World War II. It will open to 1,500 sophomores and juniors Monday at 18230 Kittridge St. Dr. Lowell McGinnis, former principal of John H. Francis Polytechnic High School, will head school. Plant eventually will house 2,500 students. Athletic field with seating for 3,000 spectators and night lighting system is included in facilities." On the right is the Los Angeles River.  Photo Date:  September 10, 1955 – Valley Times*

Historical Notes

This reactor was part of the Sodium Reactor Experiment, a nuclear power plant built by Atomics International of North American Aviation at the Santa Susana Field Laboratory, in the Santa Susana Mountains. The reactor was active from 1957 to 1964. *

Historical Notes

The Sodium Reactor Experiment-SRE was an experimental nuclear reactor which operated from 1957 to 1964 and was the first commercial power plant in the world to experience a core meltdown.*^

Historical Notes

This was the first commercial power plant in the world to experience a core meltdown. There was a decades-long cover-up by the US Department of Energy. The operation predated environmental regulation, so early disposal techniques are not recorded in detail. Thousands of pounds of sodium coolant from the time of the meltdown are not yet accounted for. The reactor and support systems were removed in 1981 and the building torn down in 1999.*^

Historical Notes

In its earliest days, Agoura Hills was nothing more than a stagecoach stop and was referred to as "Vejar Junction." In the early 1920s, after Paramount Studios purchased a ranch in the neighborhood, the community became known briefly as "Picture City." But neither name stuck. In 1928, a group of residents formed a Chamber of Commerce which, as one of its first actions, asked to have a permanent post office established in the community. The Postal Department informed the chamber that it would need to submit a list of ten potential names for the town. One of the area's more colorful early landowners had been a man by the name of Pierre Agoure. Though French by birth and a shepherd in his youth, he favored Spanish costumes and adopted the moniker Don Pedro Agoure. In compiling a list of possible names, the townspeople inserted "Agoure" in the tenth spot. Bob Boyd, the town's first postmaster, later recalled that the tenth name was selected because it was the shortest. How the "e" became an "a" remains an unsettled issue. Some say it was done intentionally for ease of spelling, others lay blame at the door of the post office, arguing that the modification was simply an error.

Historical Notes

Ventura Boulevard was originally part of El Camino Real. It now continues as Calabasas Road (running parallel to the 101 Freeway). A stage line, run by Flint, Bixby and Butterfield, operated during the 19th century along it.

Historical Notes

Sing reads:  1000 Acres of Elbow Room - Live in HIDDEN HILLS where Living is Fun! Full Acre Lots $4750.

The "1000 acres" were composed of the following purchases: 1) in 1949, 700 acres acquired from E.E. Hurlbutt; 2) in 1950, 160 acres purchased from Nace, et al; 20 acres from Mrs. Lasher; 119 acres from the Straubinger family; and 5.6 acres from Spinks — a total of 1004.6 acres.

Historical Notes

By 1957, the cost of a three- or four-bedroom home on a one-acre site was $27,500 – $47,500. One- to five-acre home sites were selling for $7,950 – $12,500.

Historical Notes

The Hidden Hills Community was designed and developed in the 1950s by A.E. Hanson, a renowned Southern California landscape architect and planned community developer. His earlier projects included Rolling Hills and Palos Verdes Estates, and the 1920s Beverly Hills Harold Lloyd Estate 'Greenacres'.

Historical Notes

Hidden Hills is bordered on the north by the nature reserve and greenbelt of the Upper Las Virgenes Canyon Open Space Preserve, a park with miles of equestrian, hiking, and mountain biking trails. Nearby to the south is the pioneer Leonis Adobe National Historic Landmark, with gardens and a historical Museum. It's across the historic El Camino Real of the Spanish Las Californias and Mexican Alta California eras, now U.S. Route 101.

Historical Notes

In the spring of 1961, civic leaders in the tiny community of Hidden Hills launched a drive to form a city. They were faced with the prospect of being annexed to the City of Los Angeles and having Burbank Boulevard extended through the community. The petition for cityhood was signed by 79% of the voters, and in spite of the fact that the Los Angeles City Council's Planning Committee opposed the incorporation, it was approved by the Board of Supervisors.

September 19, 1961 was designated as election day, when a total of 358 votes were cast for incorporation (83% of registered voters), with 71 votes against. The area of the new city was approximately 1.3 square miles, with a population of a little over 1,000 and an assessed valuation of $2,681,910. On October 19, 1961, Hidden Hills became the 73rd city in the County.

Historical Notes

In the 1950s, Old Town Calabasas was a small, rural community with a rich history rooted in its days as a stagecoach town in the Wild West. Known for its rustic charm, the area featured several historic structures, most notably the Leonis Adobe, built in the 1840s as part of Rancho El Escorpion and associated with Basque settler Miguel Leonis. This adobe, now a living history museum, was central to preservation efforts during the 1950s, narrowly avoiding demolition for new developments. Calabasas had been a significant stop on the Flint, Bixby, and Butterfield stage line in the mid-19th century, connecting Los Angeles and Monterey and serving as a hub for travelers. Despite the broader growth in California, Calabasas retained its rugged, frontier spirit, with its small population and limited interaction with outsiders. The town's cultural fabric was further enriched by the establishment of Park Moderne, an artists' colony from the 1920s. Community life also featured landmarks like the "Hangman's Tree," a white oak tied to local folklore, which was eventually removed to accommodate infrastructure development. Overall, Old Town Calabasas in the 1950s was a place where history and rural charm coexisted amidst the pressures of modernization.

Historical Notes

Archie Hanson, Jr. developed Hidden Hills as well as Rolling Hills, CA. Mr. Hanson renovated the Leonis Adobe and lived there with his family for a few years. He also designed the gardens at the Getty House in Los Angeles and the gardens of the Harold Lloyd Estate among other projects. The photo is part of the Leonis Adobe Museum and Plummer House Collection. Courtesy of CSUN Oviatt Digital Library.

Historical Notes

Today, Old Town Calabasas is a charming area that blends historical sites with modern attractions. A key feature is the Leonis Adobe Museum, a historic site dating back to 1844, offering a glimpse into 19th-century ranch life. Nearby, Calabasas Creek Park provides a picturesque setting with antique ironwork, gardens, and a creek, perfect for leisurely strolls and picnics. The area is also known for its dining and shopping options, including popular spots like Sagebrush Cantina, Pedalers Fork, and The Six Restaurant. Additionally, the Old Town Calabasas Farmers Market, held every Saturday, is a vibrant local hub for fresh produce and baked goods, making it a popular social and shopping destination.

Historical Notes

Fallbrook Market was initially built and opened by the Lookabaugh Family in 1946, when Fallbrook Avenue was nothing but a rough-hewn dirt road, and the area was home to more nuts than people. It is one of the oldest businesses and certainly the longest continuously running market in the West San Fernando Valley.

Historical Notes

It operated as small grocery until 1951, when Jim McQuaid rented space in what was then a 40’x40’ building. He immediately installed a meat counter and became the store’s first butcher until 1958, when he purchased the market outright. Over the next 20 years, Jim renamed, remodeled and reconfigured the store to what it is today.

Historical Notes

After Jim McQuaid retired in 1978, sons Mike and Pat took over the store, splitting the meat-cutting/grocery duties. Pat retired in 2010 and  Mike’s son, Cory, would soon join the operation.

Jim’s Fallbrook Market, with over 50 years of a McQuaid at the helm, is the longest continuously running market in the West San Fernando Valley.

Historical Notes

The complex, originally known as Fallbrook Square, opened between November 1963 and November 1966. Housing eighty stores and services in an open-air format, it was anchored by large Sears and J.C. Penney locations and included F.W. Woolworth, Ontra Cafeteria, House of Sight and Sound, Karl's Toys, Nibblers Restaurant, and a Market Basket supermarket.

An enclosing renovation was done between April 1984 and July 1986. Target and Mervyn's anchors were added and the complex was renamed Fallbrook Mall. Damaged by the 1994 Northridge earthquake, and in decline by the late 1990s, the shopping venue was redeveloped between August 2001 and November 2003, emerging as the 1,200,000-square-foot Fallbrook Center of today.

Historical Notes

The Fallbrook Square Sears, at 330,000 square feet, was said to be the largest store in the Chicago-based chain when it was built.

The Sears, which had re-opened at the nearby Westfield Topanga in 1996, was divided between Big Kmart (upper level) and Burlington Coat Factory (lower level). These opened in 1997. The Big Kmart closed and re-opened, as a Wal-Mart (currently branded as Walmart), in January 2004.

Historical Notes

The existing Penney's structure, vacated in April 2001, was retenanted by Kohl's.

Today, the 75-acre Fallbrook Center is an open-air, 880,000-square-foot shopping center with retailers including Wal-Mart, Trader Joe's, Home Depot, Target, Ross Dress for Less, 24 Hour Fitness, Michael's, and Petco. *^

Historical Notes

The Fox Fallbrook Theatre was opened March 16, 1966 by National General Theatres with Richard Burton in “The Spy Who Came in from the Cold”. The Fallbrook was like the smaller single story neighborhood version of the National Theatre in Westwood.

The theater was designed by J. Arthur Driellma, built by Ernest W Hahn Inc, and seated 874 persons. It would later get twinned, with Mann Theaters operating there in its final years. The last film shown here was November 1987, and the theater sat vacant for a couple of years, before being razed for a Chuck E Cheese.

Historical Notes

This building still exists today and is now called Altadena Express Market. Click HERE for contemporary view.

Historical Notes

The Giacopuzzi family was one of the founding families of Owensmouth, which would later become Canoga Park. Brothers Mario and Guido Giacopuzzi ran the dairy farm from the 1950s with over 500 cows.  Over the years the dairy farm received numerous awards from both the Los Angeles and Ventura County Fairs Boards for its quality production and award winning milk. The dairy herd was sold in 1983.^

Historical Notes

John Giacopuzzi, along wife Rosie and daughter Marie, immigrated from Italy in the very early 1900’s, and set up dairy farming in Los Angeles City, where more children were born. During this time, Antonio Giacopuzzi (aka Tony, and unrelated – Giacopuzzi was a common name in that part of Italy) also immigrated from the same area of Italy, and married Marie. Both families moved to the SFV, settling on two 10-acre plots of land at Vanowen and Corbin in Canoga Park in the early 1920’s, with a dairy farm, and some of the acreage devoted to other crops. Houses were built at 6841 Corbin Ave (John & Rosie) and at 19801 Vanowen (Tony & Marie). Tony’s sons Guido and Mario continued the family business for decades.

In 1927, John purchased another ten acres along Sherman Way, farming this acreage as well. Eventually another 10 acres was acquired at the SE corner of Fallbrook and Strathern for dairy farming. Over time, the families opened up a couple more drive-thru dairies in the West Valley, as well as Thousand Oaks and Simi to sell their products.

In the early 1950’s, the 10 acres at the corner of Corbin and Vanowen was leased to Canoga Dairy Farms, which eventually became Lindo Giacopuzzi's Corbin Dairy until 1967, when zoning on the property changed, and a shopping center was built. Circa 1967, the cows from both the Vanowen and Fallbrook Giacopuzzi locations were moved to a 48 acre dairy in El Rio, where the operation continued.^^

Historical Notes

Around the time the Syndicate was selling lots in the town of Owensmouth, they also sold larger lots in the adjoining area. The property at Tenth Street (Saticoy) and Santa Ana Avenue (Woodlake), was purchased by a John T Hadley in 1911. He built a barn on the property, but no house. After his passing, his wife sold the property to a Virgil W Deaver; he also did not build a house.

Historical Notes

The two-story Dutch Colonial Revival Home was built for Frank Stewart Howard, a Buick distributer, in 1927 at the cost of $8,500.00. Frank founded The Howard Motor Company and had dealerships in Pasadena and Hollywood. He hired J.H. Hillard to build the house, a garage and 14 chicken coops of varying sizes to house exotic birds, and other animals including thoroughbred horses. The largest coop was 108 feet long.

Unfortunately, Frank was a drinker and during a family argument in which he was choking his wife, his 12 year old son shot him and Frank died before he reached the hospital. The Howard Estate deeded the property to George Chambers on October 18, 1930.

George and his wife, Mary retired to the ranch until George passed away in 1940. Mary sold the ranch to May Carreaud, who leased it to Grenville Stratton, a Douglas Aircraft executive who was well known for breeding horses, in 1944. Grenville built a guest house and turned the largest chicken coop into a barn.

Grenville W. Stratton purchased the property (38.5 acres) from May in 1947. As the new owner, he changed the name of the property to Circle S Stables to suit the needs of his thriving horse racing and breeding business. *

Historical Notes

The Circle S Ranch became widely recognized as a landmark on the southeast corner of Tenth Street and Santa Ana Avenue, later changed to Saticoy Street and Woodlake Avenue. Under Grenville's ownership, the Circle S Ranch made a name for itself in the horse racing industry.

When Grenville's wife passed away, his stepdaughter sued him for half of the estate. In 1954, the cost of the long, drawn out lawsuit and Greenville’s bad health forced him to close the ranch.

In 1956 the ranch was subdivided into 207 home site lots and one 3.46 acre lot for the remaining ranch buildings. The 100 foot horse barn was removed from the property and later razed when its new location was subdivided. The original barn was moved to a location on Zelzah but was also demolished to make way for an apartment building. Greenville’s second wife, Janice, sold the remaining property to William & Joy Ross in 1972. In 1990 it was put in a family trust in which it still remains today.

Historical Notes

Shoup Avenue was named after Paul Shoup, a vice president of the Southern Pacific Railroad and president of the Pacific Electric Railway Co.

Vanowen Street was coined because it was the direct route across the Valley between the towns of Van Nuys and Owensmouth.

Click HERE to see more SFV Street Name Origins.

Historical Notes

Shoup Avenue was named after Paul Shoup, a vice president of the Southern Pacific Railroad and president of the Pacific Electric Railway Co.

Topanga Canyon Boulevard - The name 'Topanga' evidently means 'above' with reference to the village site being above the high water of Topanga Creek. The 'nga' with which the name ends means 'place' and the entire name apparently means 'above place' or, as we would say in current English, merely 'above'. The name is an old Shoshonean word and can also be used in reference to the sky or heaven.

Click HERE to see more SFV Street Name Origins.

Historical Notes

The bulldozers are parked on the Topanga North off-ramp of the westbound 101. Across the street the cut for the Topanga South off-ramp can be seen. The hill in background is still there and is topped by the private homes on Como Circle. The bus is driving north on Topanga approaching Burbank Boulevard.

Historical Notes

During the 1950s, it was not uncommon to see large flocks of sheep being herded through the San Fernando Valley. Sheep ranchers would often move their flocks from one grazing area to another, allowing the animals to feed on fresh pasture.

However, as the population grew and urban development expanded in the following decades, the agricultural landscape of the San Fernando Valley underwent significant changes. The demand for housing and commercial spaces led to the conversion of farmland into residential and industrial areas, resulting in the decline of sheep farming in the region.

Historical Notes

A short article in the Oct. 18, 1955, Los Angeles Times explains:

Historical Notes

Lindley Bothwell was born in L.A. in 1901. He was a USC graduate, prosperous Southern California orange grower, a citrus agriculturalist from his Lindley Bothwell Ranch located at 5300 Oakdale Avenue in Woodland Hills, and an antique automobile collector and racer.^

Historical Notes

Bothwell collected antique cars and created vintage racing in the US in the 40s & 50s. By 1954, he was the owner of the largest private antique automobiles collection in the country. His impressive collection included the 1911 Rolls-Royce of the last tzar of Russia. At its peak the Bothwell collection numbered 88 cars. He served as the Los Angeles regional executive of the Sports Car Club of America.^

Historical Notes

On November 11, 2017 An auction of the Bothwell collection brought in over $13 million in sales, including the significant 1914 Peugeot grand prix race car that topped the charts at $7.26 million.^

Historical Notes

In addition to the antique cars, Brothwell also collected, trains, horse-drawn streetcars and had the only private collection in the world at the time. Bothwell built a rail line and a tram barn on his ranch, to keep them in working order and entertain guests.

Historical Notes

The 14-acre orange ranch is the last commercial orange grove in the Valley. Brothwell died in 1986 and his widow, Ann, looked after the ranch and his collections until her death in 2016. The ranch has been passed down to their grandchildren as she outlived her children.^

Historical Notes

Photograph caption dated December 26, 1956 reads "Ventura boulevard cuts through famous hills that divide East Woodland Hills from Woodland Hills. Area to south of cut is earmarked for $6 million high school in future. Plans call for a facility similar to Reseda High School with room for some 2,500 students, modern buildings and athletic fields. Southeast of this location is remainder of large estates which once made up much of residential area. Beautiful home and spacious grounds of Lindley Bothwell on Oakdale avenue are example of 'what used to be.' Other sections of area fell under 'urban yoke' and modern structures are addin every day to medern look of community."

Historical Notes

The CPHS website mentions snows in 1915, 1923, 1932, 1941, 1949, 1957 and 1989.

Historical Notes

In 1922, Austrian Rudolph Francis Langraf purchased twelve acres on Chalk Hill, and soon after earned his nickname ‘The Kaiser of Chalk Hill’. He and his wife, operated a Chalk Hill rest stop and gas station for three decades. Known as the “Drinking Post,” it became the eastern gate for what would eventually be called Woodland Hills.#^*^

Historical Notes

Click HERE to see more early views of Chalk Hill.

Historical Notes

Pierce College was founded in 1947 through the efforts of Clarence W. Pierce, M.D. The land for the college was purchased by the L.A. City School District (now the L.A. Unified School District). The original name of the college was the Clarence W. Pierce School of Agriculture. Two hundred and twelve WWII veterans entered the first classes.

Historical Notes

By the early 1970's the college had 2,000 students taking classes in agriculture. Four hundred and fifty head of cattle (114 dairy cattle), 250 head of sheep, 250 of swine and 6,000 poultry made up the livestock portion of the college farm. A fifteen acre orchard, green houses and fields of alfalfa, oats, pumpkins, melons and various other field crops were used to educate our students. In 1947, Los Angeles County was the leading agriculture county in the United States.*

Historical Notes

As the San Fernando Valley grew, the need for a comprehensive community college to serve the region was apparent. The college changed its name and its mission when it became Pierce College. The college’s core buildings were constructed and enrollment grew from a hundred or so in 1947 to more than 25,000 at its peak in the early 1980s.*

Historical Notes

The Christmas spirit on Candy Cane Lane dates back to 1951, according to Daily News archives, when the newly built neighborhood was surrounded by walnut groves and the 101 Freeway didn’t stretch farther west than Sepulveda Boulevard. More contemporary accounts date the tradition to 1952. The Valley News & Green Sheet, predecessor to the Daily News, credits the themed decorations up and down Lubao Avenue to a Helen Couzens in December 1953.

A neighbor asked everyone to meet and to bring their own coffee cups. During the kaffeeklatsch, residents decided they would decorate their homes for Christmas, planting stovepipe candy canes along the curb.

Themes developed for local streets. Lubao Avenue came to be dubbed Candy Cane Lane. Jumilla Avenue came to be called Avenue of the Bells. Oakdale Avenue became Candlelight Lane. And nearby Penfield Avenue turned into Caroler’s Way. Homes further afield followed suit.

Neighborhood celebrities from actor Mickey Rooney to Chuck Connors supported it, residents say. Actor Sean Penn grew up on Lubao Avenue.^

Historical Notes

“Bazooka" Bob Burns was a radio personality from the 1930’s – early 1950’s who made Canoga Park his home. He owned quite the acreage of property at the NW corner of Sherman Way and Mason. He named this ranch “Bazooka Berk” and raised prize-winning Berkshire swine here, as well as many agricultural crops. The ranch he called home included anywhere from 60-200 acres, according to various sources, which dwindled to 10 acres at the time of his death in 1956. He owned additional acreage in the valley; as much as 500-600 acres according to some sources. He was well-liked in the town, serving as its honorary mayor for a number of years in the late 1940’s – early 1950’s. After his death in February 1956, the estate traded a piece of the property to First Baptist Church for another parcel just west of Cozycroft, for which to build their church.

Another note about the property. In an interview, Bob Burns said that he designed the whole site all by himself, without the aid of an archictect or contractor.

Historical Notes

Mr & Mrs Carter lived on Chase St in Canoga Park, as seen in city directories in 1937 & 1939, as well as the US Census in 1940.

Today, a Chevron station is located on the NW corner of Roscoe and Canoga. Click HERE to see Contemporary View.

Historical Notes

HANCOCK Oil Company was headquartered in Los Angeles. In the 1850’s, lawyer Henry Hancock helped the Rocha family establish their legal claim to Rancho La Brea, but they ended up owing him so much in fees that they gave him part of the rancho in payment. In 1860 Hancock and his brother bought the rest of the rancho. Hancock began to sell asphalt produced from the famous tar pits that gave the rancho its name. This was the beginning of the Hancock Oil Company. In 1885 Hancock’s widow leased part of the rancho to eastern oil men who went bust by 1888. But in 1902, Mrs. Hancock leased part of the rancho to the Salt Lake Oil Company, which proved a great success. Henry Hancock’s son, George A. Hancock, who had learned the oil business working for Salt Lake, established his own company in 1906. By February 1907, he had over 70 wells producing nearly 300 barrels a day, making the Hancock's one of California’s wealthiest families. The Hancock family built Hancock Park, a large upscale apartment community. The Hancock Oil Company was sold to Signal Oil in 1958. In 1965 Signal was sold to Humble, and both the Hancock and Signal brands vanished.*

Click HERE to see more Early LA Gas Stations.

Historical Notes

Only after Los Angeles annexed Owensmouth in 1917 did aqueduct water flow into town.  The arrival of Owens Valley water made citrus groves and other forms of intensive agriculture possible.  Sunkist used the Canoga name, which previously referred to a watering hole at the site of the town.

The town was located on the site of an old well used by stagecoaches and local settlers. When the Southern Pacific built a branch line through the area, it designated the spot Canoga, after the town of Canoga, New York, which in turn took its name from the Indian village of Ganogeh ("place of floating oil").**^^

Historical Notes

The Canoga Citrus Association plant was located near the northeast corner of Roscoe & Canoga. It began packing oranges in 1927, with at least 25 brands packaged at this site.*^^^

Historical Notes

*In the late 1920s, residents and business leaders suggested that their town's name revert back to Canoga, complaining that Owensmouth suggested a location hundreds of miles away in the Owens Valley. Concerns about the community's image may have inspired the campaign, too; the older suburbs of East Los Angeles and Sherman had recently changed their names to Lincoln Heights and West Hollywood, respectively.

In 1931, Owensmouth became Canoga Park. (The Post Office insisted on adding "Park" to avoid confusion with Canoga, New York.)**^^

Historical Notes

Burning bright above the San Fernando Valley and L.A. Basin at dusk were the red, 40-foot tall "T's" - the iconic logo of the late, great Thriftimart supermarket chain. These gigantic signs emerged on the local landscape through the 50's and 60's.

The company that would eventually be named Thriftimart, Inc. was created in 1930 when a group of former A&P managers headed by Roger Laverty, Sr. purchased a company called Fitzsimmons Stores, Ltd. (the name the company would bear until well into the 1950's). In its earlier years, the company grew through acquisitions, including the 9-store "Thriftimart" and the 17-store Roberts Markets chains in the 1940's. In 1955, the company purchased the Smart & Final Iris Company, which at the time was strictly a wholesale operation.

By 1961, the company had over 60 stores and had renamed itself after its famous trademark.*

Historical Notes

This iconic Canoga Park business was opened in October 1946 at 21420 Sherman Way by partners Dale Bergquist and Errol Newton, when Canoga Park was little more than 100 homes. The town grew, and in 1953, Green Thumb moved a few blocks west to the SW corner of Sherman Way and Jordan., where it continues to this day. In interviews, Bergquist credited his company's success to the growth of Canoga Park and the west San Fernando Valley and the demand for landscaping materials. Green Thumb eventually added stores in other communities, including Santa Clarita and Ventura, while Dale’s brothers Bob and Max later started and operated the Green Arrow Nursery, also in the Valley.

This 1951 photo of the original location came by way of Canoga Park High School yearbook. #^*^

Historical Notes

The Arcade Block (originally called Syndicate Block) was built circa 1912. It was the first commercial building constructed in the town of Owensmouth after the Owensmouth Station.

The California Bank was originally occupied by Owensmouth Bank.

Click HERE to see more early views of the Syndicate Block.

Historical Notes

In top photo, Canoga Sporting Goods is just west of the Post Office. Further west can be seen the Mar-Wick Food Mart.

In bottom photo, Follow Your Heart is at the far left where Mar-Wick Food Mart was once located.

Historical Notes

Before Follow Your Heart, there was Larrie's Butcher Shop.
Before Larrie's Butcher Shop, there was Mar-Wick Food Mart.
Before Mar-wick Food Mart, there was Chef's Pastry Shop.

Chef's Pastry Shop opened in May 1949. Mar-wick Food Mart was in business by fall of 1950, and Larrie's opened up inside of Mar-Wick in January 1951.

Larrie's soon expanded to include the entire building, and in 1958, enlarged the building by adding 50 feet to its depth. Follow Your Heart moved in in the mid 1970's. #^*^

Click HERE to see contemporary view.

Historical Notes

The Valley Refrigeration Co. Store opened in the mid 1940’s.  Today, the building is occupied by Work Boot Warehouse.  Click HERE for contemporary view.

Historical Notes

"PE 842 has arrived at Topanga Canyon Road, now Boulevard, at the end of the Canoga Park line. Both trolley poles are down, so they will test out of service for a while. The number 121 in the right corner of the streetcar is its train number. Per PE employee timetable 13 effective 3:30 am of July 21, 1937, train 121 departed Daily except Sunday from Los Angeles (Subway Terminal) at 2-20 pm and arrived at Topanga Canyon Road at 3.48 pm. The trip was 29.10 miles in length. The image is dated July 1937."

Historical Notes

In the 1941 photo (top), the Pacific Electric Cars had already been discontinued; replaced by motorized buses, which evidently utilized the center of the street, with the tracks still in the ground.

Historical Notes

Baskin-Robbins was founded in 1945 by brothers-in-law Burt Baskin and Irv Robbins from the merging of their respective ice cream parlors, in Glendale, California. Burt Baskin owned Burton's Ice Cream Shop (opened in 1945) and Irv Robbins owned Snowbird Ice Cream (opened in 1946). Snowbird Ice Cream offered 21 flavors, a novel concept at that time. When the separate companies merged in 1953, the number of flavors was expanded to 31 flavors.

By 1948, Burt and Irv had opened six stores. Today, Baskin-Robbins has more than 7,300 shop locations in nearly 50 countries.*^

Historical Notes

Today, Bank of America is still located on the southwest corner of Topanga and Sherman Way, while Conroy’s Flowers occupies the building where Topanga Café used to be.  Click HERE for contemporary view.

Historical Notes

The ranch began as a dry-land wheat farm owned by the San Fernando Homestead Association led by Isaac Lankershim and Isaac Van Nuys. Albert Workman, an Australian immigrant, began as the superintendent of Van Nuys' Los Angeles Farm and Milling Company. After 1869 Workman purchased the 9,000-acre ranch, and cultivated it with another 4,000 acres nearby. The ranch also had a thousand head of cattle at one time. Workman imported Australian Blue Gum eucalyptus tree seeds from his homeland and planted them on the ranch. Some claim the numerous eucalyptus trees in California of that species, Eucalyptus globulus, originate from the Workman Ranch groves.*^

Historical Notes

The site has multiple Hollywood connections. In the 1930s the Workman Ranch was acquired by Colin Clements and Florence Ryerson, a couple who were screenwriters for the film studio. Ryerson co-wrote the screenplay for the 1939 film 'The Wizard of Oz' while living there. She renamed the estate Shadow Ranch for the amount of shade provided by the numerous large eucalyptus trees, originally planted during the Workman era.

Historical Notes

In the 1950's, Shadow Ranch served as a private girls school called Robinnaire. Today, it is part of the Los Angeles City Recreation and Parks Department. #^

Historical Notes

Today, the historic Shadow Ranch residence stands on a 13 acres parcel, the remaining undeveloped land of the original ranch that is an L.A. city park. The structure is used as a recreational facility and events venue. When the Los Angeles Cultural Heritage Commission was formed in 1962, Shadow Ranch was one of the first ten properties to be designated as a city Historic-Cultural Monument No. 9 (Click HERE to see complete listing).*^

Historical Notes

The Chatsworth Reservoir was completed in 1919 and used to store water for the West San Fernando Valley for over 52 years. After the 1971 Sylmar Earthquake it was placed out-of-service and pemanently retired.*

Click HERE to see more in Early Los Angeles Water Reservoirs.

Historical Notes

Lakeside came into existence in 1928/1929 and was comprised of 2 major subdivisions ~ Tract #'s 9889 & 9683.  At its eastern base, along Valley Circle was a Park, seen in the center of the image. #^*^

Notes

Color photos were included for better contrast.

Notes

Click HERE to see more Early Views of the Chatsworth Reservoir.

Historical Notes

Nordhoff Street was named for famed 19th-century health seeker and writer Charles Nordhoff.  Hired by Southern Pacific rail baron Henry Huntington in 1873, journalist Charles Nordhoff wrote the book California for Health, Pleasure and Residence.

Click HERE to see more SFV Street Name Origins.

Historical Notes

In 1958, at top of Browns Canyon at the end of De Soto Avenue there existed an Army base with Nike Hercules missiles armed with nuclear warheads. The Nike Missile Base LA-88 located in Chatsworth on Oat Mountain was part of the “Ring of Steel” that protected Los Angeles from 1958 to 1974.

The Cold War, between the Communist World (the Soviet Union and its allies) and the Western World (the United States and its allies), lasted from 1946 to 1991.

During this time of political, military and economic conflict, various strategies were undertaken by the United States to defend against a nuclear attack.  Nike Missile bases provided that defense. They were initially equipped with anti-aircraft missiles (Nike-Ajax in 1953), followed by the Nike-Hercules in 1958, which was armed with nuclear warheads and could intercept ballistic missiles.^#

Historical Notes

By 1958, the Army had established over 200 Nike missile bases within the United States (including Alaska and Hawaii).  Los Angeles was defended by a ring of 16 Nike sites, referred to as a “Ring of Steel”. To protect its aerospace industries, Los Angeles received extensive air defenses.

Oat Mountain towers over the San Fernando Valley and provides visibility in all four directions and far out into the Pacific Ocean. LA-88 was the last of the scheduled 16 Los Angeles Nike sites to be completed due to the rugged terrain and only one usable road through Browns Canyon. Construction difficulties leveling a mountain peak and also digging deep into the ground for the three underground launchers caused delays. The site was completed and operational as of August 26, 1956.^#

Historical Notes

Originally called Chatsworth Park, the facility was one of several parks and recreation centers that were financed under a bond measure approved by Los Angeles voters in 1957. Plans to develop a new park in Chatsworth, which was experiencing rapid residential growth at the time and was poorly served by park facilities, were approved by the Recreation and Parks Commission in 1960. The Commission also approved the annexation of 7.4 acres of county-owned land located adjacent to the proposed park, which were subsequently acquired and incorporated into the facility.^

Historical Notes

Conceptual plans for the park were developed by the Los Angeles-based landscape architectural firm of Cornell, Bridgers and Troller. Partner Ralph Cornell had a well-established reputation and was known for designing landscapes that thoughtfully incorporated indigenous plantings. Accordingly, the area’s abundant sandstone outcroppings and existing oak trees were integrated into the park’s design, which was approved by the city in 1961. Contractor P.J. Robert and Co. was retained to develop the park in 1962, and the site was formally dedicated and incorporated into the city’s park system in 1963.^

Historical Notes

Chatsworth Park was expanded in 1978, when an additional 72 acres to the south of the original site were acquired by the city and subsequently developed as parkland. The expansion, which had been used as a skeet shooting range prior to its development, is the site of Homestead Acre (HCM #92) and the Old Stagecoach Trail (HCM #133). However, since the two sections of the park were separated by private property that was never successfully acquired, they remained noncontiguous and were treated as two separate entities: Chatsworth Park North and Chatsworth Park South.^

Historical Notes

The 1950s saw such a rapid growth in the San Fernando Valley that it forced the Department of Water and Power to construct one of the largest steam plants in the country in Sun Valley.

Historical Notes

Photo caption reads, "Valley Steam Plant glows with thousands of lights during nighttime operation. Pipes and valves in foreground are part of fuel lines leading to plant. Built on 150-acre site in Sun Valley at cost of $80,000,000, Valley Steam Plant has total generating capacity of 512,000 kilowatts of electricity. Because of mild climate, plant is virtually open to the air with complete housing only for operating personnel and most delicate equipment. Electricity is generated by means of turbines which are powered by super-heated steam, heated in boilers using either gas or oil as fuel."  Valley Times - August 1, 1956*

Historical Notes

Click HERE to see more Early Power Generation.

Historical Notes

Today, BMW Clinic is at the LAPD site and the Reseda Drug Store has been replaced by Alan’s Flowers and a side parking lot. #^*^

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