Early Glendale

The ridges and ranchlands that once covered the expanse between Burbank and Pasadena became the 16th city in Los Angeles County to incorporate. This 1906 act formalized the Township of Glendale, which had grown from the Rancho San Rafael of the Verdugo family through the Spanish, Mexican, and American colonial eras. In the 20th century, some of the oldest film studios called Glendale home, as did their royalty, including Marion Michael Morrison, who graduated from Glendale High in 1925, yet a few years away from his notoriety as John Wayne. Seven movie theaters operated in the city in the 1920s and so did the first airport offering cross-country flight, Grand Central. In
this book, nearly 200 vintage photographs provide a window to the city's bygone days, focusing on the era up to the Second World War, when Glendale's pleasant neighborhoods were evolving together to form one of the county's most populous and ethnically diverse cities.

Author Juliet M. Arroyo is the historic preservation planner for the City of Glendale, responsible for preserving the city's landmarks. She also produces an ongoing documentary series about Glendale's history for local television and is a member of the Highland Park Heritage Trust. She has gathered the outstanding photographs that appear in this volume from such sources as the Glendale Public Library Special Collections Room, Glendale Historical Society, city archives, and privately held local collections.