2/3/12 - Posted Country Club (Mormon church) parking lot (1940's?), Burbank booze, Hudson bombers, P-38 nighttime assembly, P-38 production (1944), P-38 production, near Buena Vista Blvd. and Seaver Toy Company catalog.

1/24/12 - Posted P-80 crash (1945), Old Cask Whiskey matchbook, Vintage San Fernando Road postcard and St. Louis Browns sign at Olive Stadium.

1/19/12 - Another Burbankia Exclusive! (As near as I can tell.) The story of Maurice Poirier, Burbank Inventor and Ten Ideas Per Minute Man , wherein this pioneering young inventor is described in magazine articles, newspaper pieces and patent illustrations. He should be better known in town than he is, I think.

1/17/12 - So you thought J.W. Fawkes was the only inventor of note working in Burbank? Not at all, as it turns out. Recently, Mike and I have become aware of a city watchmaker named Maurice Poirier, who invented rockets, proposed radio transmission of power and patented wheel suspension devices; he was primarily active in the 1930's. An article about him is coming, probably later this week. I'm sorting through stuff I've found on various databases now... stand by! In the meantime, check this out. Burbank is a city where the words "McNuggets" and "sex" can appear in the same sentence.

1/13/12 - Holy Cow! More Fawkes! Los Angeles Times entries for 11/24/1898 and 12/4/1898, wherein various judges attempt to pour oil upon troubled waters and get this fractious family to quit suing one another, but fail. Click here and scroll down. Wherever they are now, I do hope they're getting along...

1/12/12 - Posted Nixon in Burbank, 1971, Pacific Electric Car, 1955 and James J. Jeffries signature, 1942.

1/11/12 - Posted LDS Building History. Mike wrote this up back in 1986 for the building dedicatory tours after the major renovation.

1/6/12 - More Fawkes! I found the obit for J.W. Fawkes which ran in the Los Angeles Times yesterday. How did I overlook that?!? So I added it here - scroll down to the bottom (obviously).

I also posted Robert Vincent's Burbank N Beyond video coverage of the happenings on San Fernando Road during the Burbank 100th; it's here. Good job, Robert! I looked for Mike and I in this video, but no, we're not in it, sorry to say.

1/5/12 - Lo and behold I found another couple of Los Angeles Times articles from 1898 about the tumultuous Fawkes Family of Burbank, these involving Howard Fawkes. I added them here - scroll down to July and December 1898. Those people loved the courthouse, that's for sure.

I also posted a curiosity: the Amos Burbank obituary, from 1920. Note that Amos is given credit as being the founder of Burbank. This is clearly not so as multiple sources confirm that Dr. David Burbank, who arrived in California more than thirty years earlier, was the earlier Burbank land owner and founder. Why the confusion on the part of the reporter? And are these two Burbanks (David from New Hampshire, Amos from New York) related or do they simply share the last name? I do not know.

1/4/12 - Posted Pomeroys at Lincoln Bust and Old Union Terminal postcard.

1/3/12 - Happy New Year! I posted an article about my favorite troublemaker, J.W. Fawkes, from a 1911 Technical World Magazine piece about "Fawkes Folly" (scroll to bottom of article). It has some unique photos and an interesting description of that weird-looking propeller.

12/19/11 - I posted "I Know Who Killed Burbank's Celebrated Breathing Bush" to the Burbankers Remember page. Have a good Burbank story? Write us!

12/16/11 - Added a Mike McDaniel photo of Mayor Talamantes to the 2111 Time Capsule Contents page.

12/14/11 - The City of Burbank placed a time capsule at City Hall yesterday, to be opened in 2111. 2111 Time Capsule flyer, 2111 Time Capsule Contents.

12/13/11 - Posted Beautiful Downtown Burbank postcard, 100th anniversary celebration image from the City's Economic Development Team's Christmas card (great photo!) and The Wonder Years House.

12/9/11 - Done! I have put the slide show material on its very own page: Burbankia Slide Show, 7/9/11.

12/8/11 - I am 4/7ths done with uploading the videos I have of the 7/9/11 Burbankia slide show. It is taking longer than I thought it would. I should have it ready to link here tomorrow!

12/7/11 - Posted Seaver Co. toy bus and Sunset Country Club postcard. I am in the process of doing youtube uploads of the videos I have of the 7/9/11 Burbankia slide show we gave at the Buena Vista Library. I may have it ready tomorrow!

12/5/11 - I posted Marti Baldwin's mother's recollections as told to Marti to the Burbankers Remember page. Have a good Burbank story? Write us!

12/2/11 - I posted Fermer Kellogg's recollections to the Burbankers Remember page. Have a good Burbank story? Write us!

11/22/11 - I posted a number of items owned by a fellow Burbanker Mike talked to, Fermer Kellogg: Union Ice Pick, Burbank Ice Storage Pick, El Camino Real Vase from the Empire China Co., Burbank Lumber Co. pouch and Empire China Factory Workers, 1924. I will be posting some stories from Mr. Kellogg later... Also posted Seaver Toy Company Airplane, A.O. Kendall Department Store (prob. on San Fernando Rd. and Lennan Lights Flashlight, Burbank, 1940s.

11/1/11 - Behold Burbank's Skull Rock in a photo c. 1991, brought to our attention by Facebook friend Jodean Ardizzone Myers. Mike recently drove down the I-5 and saw what's left of it; whatever it was up there, it doesn't look quite this skullish any more. Also posted this Lockheed Air Terminal playing card.

10/31/11 - Trivia question: When was the very last time that John Lennon and Paul McCartney played musical instruments together in a jam session? And where did this happen? New York City? London? The rather surprising answer is in this link.

10/27/11 - Added Aerial shot of Buena Vista and Victory, c. 1968/1969. Detail shots derived from it: Vickroy Park, 1968/1969, Spectors, 1968/1969, 1631 N. Lincoln St., 1968/1969. Why zoom in on 1631 N. Lincoln St.? Because that was my home from 1965 to 1980! The presence of our above ground pool in the backyard and some cars in the large shot enable us to date this photo.

Also added Aerial shot of new Country Club (Mormon Church), 1951.

10/20/11 - Added Ranch Show at the Jeffries Ranch, 1932, The Dip, 1970s, Pacific Electric Line at Glenoaks and Alameda, Police break up a still on Scott Road, 1922, St. Louis Browns Spring Training at Olive Stadium, 1949-1952, Glenoaks Baptist Church construction, late 1930's, A 1907 Franklin at City Hall, 1932. Also added Prefab School House (Central School), 1947, City seal 1911, City seal 1931 and City seal 1940s.

10/12/11 - Daughter now married! Added 1947 Mingay School article, 1, 1947 Mingay School article, 2, 1947 Mingay School article, 3 and Burbank pennant (1970's?).

9/22/11 - Yes, I know, I haven't posted anything in a while. I have a daughter getting married next month and I'm changing job responsibilities at work, so I am a bit distracted these days. I'll get it together. In the meantime, check out this youtube video of the Burbank 100th Festivities. I'm sorry to say neither Mike nor I made it into the video.

8/24/11 - Thanks to Sue Baldaseroni of the Burbank Historical Society, we now have some information about an unknown theater and sign on San Fernando Rd. that puzzled Mike and I. (A detail from the DeLos Wilbur photo from Feb. 1917 is here). According to Sue: "This was Burbank's first moving picture theatre and was run by George Wood as an adjunct of his general store which kept open at night. Watland Wood remembers when his father took tickets at the picture show, he also would run to the store to wait on customers, and also squirted gasoline into the gas engine to keep the lights from dousing. It was mainly films of Cowboys and Indians shown in the first years. MJ (Mary Jane Strickland) said the lighted sign was for the store, not sure but thought it was a chicken or rooster but can't remember for sure." So there you are - it's a bird of some kind. I still can't make it out. We've determined by looking at later photos that the building still stands; the theater was where the Fantasia Billiards Hall is now located at 133 N. San Fernando.

8/19/11 - Posted some Knott's Berry Farm Jeffries memorabilia to the Jeffries Barn page (scroll to the very bottom of the page). Also posted The Shadowlawn Cafe.

8/17/11 - Thanks to Sue Baldaseroni of the Burbank Historical Society we have an accurate caption for a photo that we mistakenly thought was something else! This image depicts the house on 466 East Olive Ave. that served as the Burbank Hospital (later, Burbank Community Hospital) in 1907; the lady in the light dress in back is Ethel Thompson Forbes, the lead nurse for Elmer Thompson, her brother, who founded the hospital. The copy of this photo in the City Hall is marked "Grangetto family?" and, indeed, some of the people in the shot look like the Grangettos. But they are not. Thanks, Sue!

8/15/11 - Thanks to reader Joe Campana we now know that 825 N. Santa Anita home shown in the DeLos Wilbur images was his 1926 home. Thanks, Joe! I have updated the list.

8/10/11 - A previously unknown (to us) 1975 book of Burbank history has come to light. In it, a photo that we thought was an aging Dr. David Burbank atop a horse is captioned as being O.J. Stough. We will check on it. We have some doubts on some of our other images as well...

The Burbankia Slide Show Part II went well. There were 58 people present and, according to Mike, they had lots of enthusiastic questions. We may be doing this kind of thing again in the future! I am encountering some difficulties with uploading the video of Slide Show Part One to the Internet. Stand by.

8/3/11 - Posted Code Morgan's sheet music for his 1924 foxtrot "In Burbank": One, Two, Three, Four, Five, Six, Seven, Eight. Also posted PAL (Police Athletic League) Swim Party at Pickwick Pool, 1950's (Thanks, Cathy Coyle!), and four shots from the 9 July Burbankia slide show: One, Two, Three, Four. Also posted San Fernando Road, 1905.

Remember: Burbankia Slide Show Part II will be held at 2 PM, August 6th (THIS SATURDAY!) at the Burbank Central Library. New content! And, of course, Burbank 100th Commemorative patches will be handed out...

My shoulder is in pretty good shape for typing; I'm more or less back to normal, thanks for asking...

7/25/11 - I removed the Marilyn Monroe reference from this site. A caption elsewhere on the web said that she got her start when a photographer saw her working at an airplane factory in Burbank and shot her for the cover of a YANK magazine, but the brother of that photographer told me she was really at a plant in Van Nuys at the time! So as much as I'd like to be able to assertively state that Marilyn Monroe got her start in Burbank - she didn't.

Updates might be very few in number in the next few weeks. Tomorrow morning I'm having my shoulder operated on from a rugby injury, so I'm not sure how much typing I'll be able to do. I'm told it's a rather long recovery cycle.

7/22/11 - Debbie! Miss Burbank of 1948! Posted 1951 Debbie Reynolds story, 1, 2 and 3.

By popular demand (that is, somebody read on this page that it would be the same slideshow and complained to the librarian!), Mike is now working on a new slideshow for the August Burbankia presentation! He's presently working on a section whose title is taken from an old Talking Heads Lp, "More Songs about Buildings and Food." I don't know if that title will make it intact to the slideshow under that name - but expect more Burbank buildings and mentions of food.

7/21/11 - Posted 1961 Pickwick Pool Dance Party. Thanks, Cathy Coyle! Also posted a Burbank Library Blog entry about the 9 July slideshow we did.

7/14/11 - The 9 July slide show went well; Mike and I were gratified with the response - thanks for coming! The final count was 148 people at the show.

A funny note: the Burbank Leader said we were the third best commemorative thing to do that day... I think we were the first. But who am I to argue with the press? :)

7/5/11 - I posted Bruce Foreman's funny write-up about riding a Whizzer motorbike in the snow to the Burbankers Remember page. Have a good Burbank story? Write us!

It's almost here! In fact, this will be my last update before I get on the plane to Los Angeles. For the last time, this cool Burbank centennial patch is FREE TO EVERYONE ATTENDING THE SLIDE SHOW this Saturday. Hope to see you there...

7/1/11 - I posted Charles Catlin's family home story on the Burbankers Remember page. Have a good story yourself? Write us!

6/30/11 - The topic for today is City Hall: Burbank's Ready for Any Emergency (3/30/42), Burbank Drive Nets Iron Lung (6/30/42), Police Awaiting Powerful Radio (8/30/42) and New City Hall Thrown Open (2/13/43).

6/29/11 - Posted a Burbankia exclusive: The Photographic Legacy of DeLos D. Wilbur. I didn't think I'd have it up in time for the slide show, but I guess I did.

6/28/11 - Posted Corner of Olive and Verdugo, 1947 - 1 and Corner of Olive and Verdugo, 1947 - 2 (where Genio's used to be; now there's a Social Security office there).

6/24/11 - Posted Tim Burton Summer Reading library (1969). I am now assembling the DeLos Wilbur page; it'll take some time yet. There are 66 images. HAPPY BIRTHDAY MIKE MCDANIEL!

6/22/11 - Still going through the DeLos Wilbur photos for inclusion on their very own page... but I may not have any updates until after the slideshow (life has become hectic). Be patient.

6/17/11 - Okay, I'm finally finished with the slide show for next month and have mailed a CD with the file off to Mike. Hope to see you there! Maybe next week I can collect my wits and return to posting things here...

6/9/11 - Posted 1943 USO Valentine's Day Dance.

In addition to working on the slide show (only one month away!) I'm also reformating the DeLos Wilbur photos for a future web page of their own. Mike wants to point out that these Wilbur images are courtesy of his friend Bob Reichelderfer - thanks, Bob!

6/8/11 - Posted some more images: Burbank's Anti-Red Laws (1950), Wahlstrom Pools, Burbank, 1958 ad, Wahlstrom Pools, Burbank, plaque (the Wahlstrom Brothers, Joe Lee and Drew Lee, were in the pool building business in Burbank from 1941 to their bankruptcy in August 1958), Burbank train wreck, July, 1924 (no mention in the L.A. Times), Corradi Music (San Fernando Road) during the May 1948 Parade (Amerio Corradi is the inventor of the famous Martino's teacake), Geo. F. Patterson Cushman Float during the May 1948 Parade, Geo. F. Patterson Cushman Float during the May 1948 Parade (Could that be Debbie Reynolds?), Greg Alaimo and his Burbank Flag in Vietnam, 1968, Greg Alaimo and his Goldie Hawn poster with Burbank bumper sticker, Vietnam, 1968.

I'm just about done with the presentation slides for July. LOTS of interesting stuff in there...

By the way, Mike just came across a bunch of really great, unknown early Burbank images by WWI soldier and Burbank postman DeLos Wilbur; he is now making scans. I'll start including them as I can - some will end up in the July and August slideshows.

5/27/11 - Posted some images: Stough Park in 1954, Country Club Then and Now, Bob's Big Boy on San Fernando, 1948, Bob's Big Boy on San Fernando, interior, 1948, Giant soldier bayonets Burbank High students (from 1943 yearbook), Richard Nixon at City Hall, 1950s, Old Burbank High building from side, Jeffries Barn from Frederick Street.

I'm still working on the presentation slides for July... Please come! If you like this website at all you will love this presentation! Saturday, July 9th, Buena Vista library. (I am aware that some flyers say this is going to be at the Central Library - it isn't. It's at the Buena Vista library.) Andddd... we would like to meet you!

5/20/11 - Somebody made the phrase "Beautiful Downtown Burbank" a registered service mark. Click here to see who! (Scroll to bottom of page.) Still working on the presentation slides for July...

5/17/11 - The City of Burbank Public Works department is certainly getting into the centennial spirit of things. They created commemorative manhole covers and started a contest (FOR CITY EMPLOYEES ONLY) to locate the six new manhole covers. (My guess is that the contest is probably over by now.) Centennial manhole cover and clever poem.

No updates here for a while... I am busy working on the Burbankia slide show for July 9th. Lots of slides to make, not a lot of time to make them. The presentation should last somewhere between an hour and an hour and a half, I think. Mike and I will be interacting with the audience during the show.

5/6/11 - Rock guitarist Randy Rhoads' memorial.

5/5/11 - Jay Leno sighting! (1966 Ford Galaxie).

5/3/11 - Mike spotted the snazzy new Centennial marshal's badge and found an old Browns vs. White Sox program. Updates are going to be a bit fewer between now and early July... I am working on the Burbankia slideshow. Did you know there are about 1,900 images, 125+ pages and 5 books on this site? That surprises even me and I administer it...

Also, posted The U.S.S. Burbank, Bear feeding (1935), General Patton and other Famous Folk (from the 1977 city calendar) and 1977 City Calendar cover. So General Patton once spoke in front of City Hall - cool! Mike has been trying to track down a photograph of this occasion...

4/26/11 - Posted Officer Smith's 1967 Gun Battle.

4/22/11 - Posted The Burbank-Burroughs Football Rivalry. I had this up before as a link to another website, but the link vanished. The good people at burbanknbeyond.com gave me permission to duplicate this article here on Burbankia.

4/21/11 - More old articles from the Los Angeles Times... Posted Small Burbank Library Room (note mention of a Burbank Family Bible; Mike has been trying to find this but so far has not - it seems to no longer be in the library system), and Romance and Tragedy in the Burbank Clerk's Records.

4/20/11 - I've been looking though old copies of the Los Angeles Times... Before there was a 100th celebration, there was a 40th. (But note this commemorates the founding of the town, not the incorporation.) Posted Burbank's 40th (1927) - One, Burbank's 40th (1927) - Two, Burbank's Mega-TP of 1977 (I got a kick out of their workplace tedium: processing porn films!), The Birth of KROQ (1972) (I used to listen to it all the time), A odd/funny Veteran's Administration death announcement and Tomlin's Lockheed Noon Shift.

4/15/11 - Posted Los Angeles Times obits for the two Burbank brothers, David (1895) and Franklin (Frank - 1903): Dr. David Burbank obit (Jan 22 1895), Frank Burbank obit (Jan 28 1903). I have always wondered why there are no Burbanks living in Burbank - now I know why. As the obit makes clear, the local line of that name died out with Frank...

4/14/11 - Burbankia scoop! Added a tale about a heroic Burbanker I bet you didn't know: The Story of Edward W. Spencer.

4/13/11 - Added some Los Angeles Times derived Pumpkin House lore to the Pumpkin House page (scroll to bottom)!

4/12/11 - Added a new photo to the Pumpkin House page (scroll to bottom). Also, added Lockheed Aircraft Factory School (WWII).

4/5/11 - Added Roberts Drive In.

4/4/11 - Here's another interesting thing Mike, that tireless collector of Burbank items, found: Tom Snyder's Key to the City (1993). I want one!

4/1/11 - Okay, here's an interesting thing on a crusty old negative Mike found: Olive Witch Burn. Apparently folks used to burn "witches" on bonfires for Halloween as a community thing. I have no memory of this (and I'm 54), but Mike says his mother used to talk about seeing it when she was a girl in Utah. This is the preparation for one such witch burning that took place at the Olive Ave. Rec Center. The truck seen at right suggests this may have been shot in the 1940's or 1930's but the clothing looks like the 1950's to me. Burn, Witch, Burn!

3/31/11 - Posted the names of Burbank citizens who died in four American wars; these names appear on the Veteran's monument in McCambridge Park. The Burbank Veterans' Committee is working on a book of remembrance - if you have information or pictures about any of these veterans please contact Mike McDaniel!

3/30/11 - It's Big Boy Bob day! Added links for Big Boy Bob hamburgers, 1, Big Boy Bob hamburgers, 2, Big Boy Bob hamburgers, 3, Big Boy Bob hamburgers, 4, Big Boy Bob hamburgers, 5. These are all from the book "The Leisure Architecture of Wayne Mc Allister" By Chris Nichols.

3/29/11 - Added a link to Ross' Retro page on the BurbanknBeyond.com website. Lots of good photos there from Ross A. Benson - check it out!

3/28/11 - Added a Smoke House Restaurant page. (I can hear some of you saying, "It's about time!").

3/24/11 - Posted The Emmanuel Church Story by Pete Peterson to the History page. Mr. Peterson was my high school American history teacher at Burbank High in 1972/1973. A jolly and always engaging teacher, I was fortunate to have had both his American History and Civil War History classes; he enlivened things considerably by bringing in his slides of the battlefield sites he had visited in the East. His enthusiam for the subject was contagious, and it wasn't long before I, too, became an avid Civil War buff, reading every book on the subject I could find in the library. When I finished college I had to decide where to live, and I found a job in Maryland - right in the heart of Civil War country! After three years I moved to Northern Virginia and have remained here ever since, taking part in Civil War reenacting activities on the major battlefields that I had seen in Pete's slides so many years prior. (So, you see, I am not presently a Burbanker like my pal Mike - but it's a Burbanker's fault!) Thanks, Mr. Peterson, for this wonderful gift of a lifetime interest and hobby! I hope the inclusion of your 1991 church history on this site pleases you. God bless! - Wes Clark

3/18/11 - Added a link to the KABC Web Cam (atop the Disney Building on Alameda).

3/16/11 - Added the following courtesy of Les Copeland of the Burbank Aviation Museum: Four Famous Planes, Lockheed Workers, P-38 at hangar, Riveters and Lockheed at wartime (note detail of ladies eating at the DeLuxe Box Lunch Co. truck). About this last photo, a reader named Lorenzo writes: "I believe that this photo was taken at the corner of Hollywood Way and Thornton, looking southwest. On the Lockheed property is a P-2 Neptune."

Also added BPD Marksman award and City Hall lobby floor.

3/3/11 - Added Valley Ford, San Fernando Blvd., early 1960's.

2/18/11 - Added Benmar brochure 1 (1950's), Benmar brochure 2 (1950's), Benmar brochure 3 (1950's), Benmar brochure 4 (1950's). Thanks to Daryl and Penny Forbes, lifelong Burbankers, for the brochure! Also added 1935 American Legion medal and Safety week ends.

2/17/11 - Added James Jeffries' protege "Spider" Mock - 1 and James Jeffries' protege "Spider" Mock - 2 to the Jeffries Barn page.

2/16/11 - Added Safety Week 1948 at Vickroy Park, Youngsters Get Thrill (Vickroy Park, 1948), Old Public Library display for California Centennial and California Centennial Float (parked at old Public Library on Olive Ave.).

2/15/11 - Added Burbank Pioneers (1947), Push button wonder of 1948, Sox Spring Training, Horseshoes (at Vickroy Park, not Glenoaks), BPD Pogs (mid 1990's) and Mathilda Beall Morphy, Burbank's First Woman Letter Carrier.

2/14/11 - Before there was a Burbank 100th anniversary celebration, there was a 75th. Here are some Los Angeles Times articles on the subject: Politics Invade Birthday Party, Burbank Set To Party As Age Issue Is Settled, Burbank To Put The Icing On Its Cake and Burbank Buries Bits of City Life.

2/11/11 - Mike McDaniel found a bunch of photos and articles: Vickroy Park in 1948, Smiley Burnett entertains the kids at Olive Rec Center, 12/47, Debbie Reynolds and her baton, c. 1948, McCambridge Park Rec Center Opening 1957, Red Skelton in Burbank, 1948, Jiggers, 1948 ("Jiggers" is old slang for "Watch out!"), Burbank as Baseball training city, 1947, Union Air Terminal matchbook. More to come...

2/10/11 - Today's contributor is John Boylan: John Boylan's Burbank. Thanks, John!

2/9/11 - Today's contributor is Cathy Coyle: Lockheed demolition, 1995, City Hall mural, Civic Beauty 1 (City hall), Civic Beauty 2 (City Hall), Burbank 75th Anniversary 1986, Sunset atop the Burbank Blvd. overpass, 12/09. Thanks, Cathy!

2/7/11 - Added The Rock House. I didn't know about the Burbank-Henry Ford connection. Cool!

2/4/11 - Added New Burbank Police and Fire Headquarters card and New Burbank Police and Fire Headquarters coin and cartoon, which were sent to me by the ever-awesome Cathy Coyle. Also posted Burbank on Parade (early 1950's) and Burbank Patrolman Badge.

2/3/11 - Added two more pages from Volume One, Number One (18 June 1925) of the Burbank High School High Life: Page three, Page four.

2/2/11 - Added a couple of pages from Volume One, Number One (18 June 1925) of the Burbank High School High Life: Page one, Page two. Note all the misspellings! Also, added Mike McDaniel's scenic Burbank Sunset, as photographed from the roof of his house on Elmwood Avenue!

1/24/11 - Added Paul E. Wolfe Hollywood Way Bungalows and 1981 Johnny Carson Beautiful Downtown Burbank poster and detail. (These were produced by the Greater Burbank Visitors' Guide; this poster is in the Burbank City Hall Reprographics Department.) Also posted a tomato label from the McKeon Canning Company, which was located in Burbank.

1/11/11 - Added my Verdugo Hills Stories.

1/7/11 - According to Mike, when you saw that polka-dotted bag handed to you at a birthday party it was going to be something good: Marv's Toys bag.

1/5/11 - Lockheed at War! (From "Of Men and Stars," 1957): Photo one, Photo two, Photo three, Photo four, Photo five. Also, the City of Burbank has posted their official Centennial Website; it's at www.burbankusa.com/centennial.

1/4/11 - The Burbank Centennial year begins with the 2011 Tournament of Roses Float: Photo one, Photo two, Photo three, Photo four.

12/22/10 - The City of Burbank has officially kicked off its yearlong Centennial Celebration and will commemorate the 100th anniversary of its incorporation date on July 8, 2011! Cost for the centennial book is $30 now but will be $40 after January 1, 2011. Call 818.238.5300 or go here for more info. Also added Lockheed Rose Parade Float Entry, c. 1945 and Rachael Jones' (BHS Senior) various Burbank athletic tickets.

Merry Christmas, everyone!

11/13/10 - Remembering James M. McCloud, a World War I soldier from Burbank who was killed in action...

11/3/10 - Early Burbank Promotional (Los Angeles Times, 20 Apr 1887), Early Burbank Promotional (Los Angeles Times, 18 Sep 1887), Work commences on Burbank Villa (Los Angeles Times, 7 May 1887), Vickroy Park opened (Los Angeles Times, 3 Jun 1925), Wrolstad murder (Los Angeles Times, 23 Dec 1965), Burbank pennent, 1920's, Artillery fire base in Vietnam with Burbank sign, c. 1968.

10/20/10 - When organized crime ran Burbank: Small Cities Can Lick Crime, Too! (Coronet, May 1956).

10/15/10 - Added Lt. Col. Dyess P-38 crash at St. Finbar church (Dec 22 1943).

10/14/10 - Today let's switch from Vietnam to World War II. Added Vengeful War Widows Work in Plane Plants (Los Angeles Times, Jul 12 1942) and P-38's Terrify Nazis, Burbank Flyer Asserts (Jul 26 1943). Anything that terrified Nazis is a plus in my book...

10/13/10 - Added Operation Cookie Lift (Los Angeles Times, Feb 23 1967), Gifts Give Thanks to Servicemen in Vietnam (Nov 12 1965).

10/12/10 - Added Boxing News (11/17/1932) - 1, Boxing News (11/17/1932) - 2, Boxing News (11/17/1932) - 3, Ralph's on Victory and Buena Vista, 1960's, Terminal Drive-In (near the airport) and Gold Star P-38.

James Jeffries 75th birthday (15 Apr 1950) and James Jeffries (20 Sep 1943),

9/24/10 - Added Starlight Theatre entrance, James Jeffries 75th birthday (15 Apr 1950) and James Jeffries (20 Sep 1943),

9/20/10 - Added a link for Linda Mustion's Burbank High School, Burbank, CA In Memoriam (Burbank High School Deceased Alumni By Class Years) blog.

9/17/10 - Added James Jeffries Playing Card Backs and SCCC Letterhead Logo, 1929.

9/15/10 - You know what's neat about Burbank? Just when you think you have covered all the interesting stuff somebody remembers something else, or you find interesting things in old newspapers, etc. In this case, Mike remembered seeing the Cabrini Chapel atop Mount Raphael when he was a kid. (I never did - Mike is far more observant than I.) Add in some Los Angeles Times research and you have the Cabrini Chapel page.

9/14/10 - Remember when San Fernando Road had all of those car dealerships? Rothe Pontiac, Art Rice Plymouth/Dodge, Atherton Motors (Studebaker), Art Mugg Chevy and further west Burbank Toyota, Tom Neal Oldsmobile? Here are a couple of old car dealership shots: San Fernando at Providencia looking toward Alameda (March 1956) - Street level shot, San Fernando at Providencia looking toward Alameda (March 1956) - Aerial shot.

9/10/10 - Everyone (save those involved) enjoy looking at a good train wreck, right? Here are some dramatic photos of one: Train wreck at Burbank Junction (12/15/1966) - one, Train wreck at Burbank Junction (12/15/1966) - two, Train wreck at Burbank Junction (12/15/1966) - three, Train wreck at Burbank Junction (12/15/1966) - newspaper article.

9/9/10 - Did you know Burbank once had a Junior Badminton League? Posted Burbank Junior Badminton League Boys (1950's?) and Burbank Junior Badminton League Girls (1950's?). Also posted Burbank Moves Into New Era (1964).

9/8/10 - Posted Burbank A.B.C. Directory (1942). Mike and I think this may have been one of those publications that required businesses to pay for listings, so perhaps not all 1942 Burbank businesses are in it. Still, it's an interesting reflection of who was doing business in town back then. For instance, while you couldn't obtain a colonic in Burbank, you could buy a corset. And Martino's is listed!

9/7/10 - Posted Octavia Lesueur obituary. Tomorrow: the Burbank A.B.C. Directory from 1942...

9/3/10 - Posted twelve Paul E. Wolfe Burbank postcards: Paul E. Wolfe postcard - Burbank on Parade, Paul E. Wolfe postcard - Shot from the Verdugo Hills, Paul E. Wolfe postcard - Donkey baseball, Paul E. Wolfe postcard - Olive Rec, Paul E. Wolfe postcard - Burbank High graduation, Paul E. Wolfe postcard - Aerial view of Burbank, Paul E. Wolfe postcard - Main post office, Paul E. Wolfe postcard - Main library, Paul E. Wolfe postcard - Lockheed Constitution, Paul E. Wolfe postcard - Lockheed Shooting Star, Paul E. Wolfe postcard - Burbank Symphony Orchestra, Paul E. Wolfe postcard - City Hall at night.

9/2/10 - I finally finished scanning the 74 images from the Rancho de los Santos history and posted them as a separate gallery. This way users aren't slamming my bandwidth limits whenever they pull up the text, but still have access to the 13 MB of images. Unfortunately, however, the process of scanning the halftone images produced dots on the image. Anyway, the image link is here, with the text, at the bottom of the chapter headings. I'm glad that's done!

Also, I posted the Lockheed Employees Handbook, 1950. First day on the job? Worried about how to fill out your timecard, when the breaks are and where the canteen is located? It's all in here. I'm sure my Dad got one of these on his first day at Lockheed (1955), but I didn't (1979)...

Finally, I posted a rather breathless 1954 history of Burbank - The Story of Burbank from Her Eventful Pioneer Days - by the Magnolia Park Chamber of Commerce, full of exclamation points and dramatic ellipses. It's here.

8/31/10 - Remember when Burbank had trailer courts? So do we! Here's a series of photos of the Big Tree Trailer Park (1950's), which was located at 141 W. Verdugo Blvd., where the Public Works yard now is. Big Trees Trailer Park (1950's), 1, Big Trees Trailer Park (1950's), 2, Big Trees Trailer Park (1950's), 3, Big Trees Trailer Park (1950's), 4.

8/30/10 - 1903 map of Burbank! I hope you can make out the streets. That railroad spur is the line that goes west along what is now Chandler, you can orient yourself from that. San Fernando Road is called 2nd Street here. 1903 Burbank map, 1, 1903 Burbank map, 2, 1903 Burbank map, 3, 1903 Burbank map, 4.

8/27/10 - No updates because I'm busy scanning all the images in that Rancho de los Santos booklet. That takes time! I'll post them when I finish. While you're waiting take a look at these: San Fernando Rd. (Olive Ave. at right - 1959/1960) and San Fernando Rd. (Orange Grove at left - late 1959/1960). Somebody - Burbank photographer Paul E. Wolfe, perhaps? - assembled a postcard panoramic view of San Fernando Rd. in what appears to be 1959/1960 (based on a Volkwagen rear window appearing in a wider crop of the shot).

8/25/10 - Posted Little Hollywood Way homes and I-5 South (1960's). Also, yesterday I learned that one of the Grand Ladies of Burbank, Genevieve Cowden Sultenfuss (BHS Class of 1928 - yes, you read that correctly) celebrated her 100th Birthday on August 12th. Happy belated Birthday! This is one person I'd really like to interview about Burbank history...

8/24/10 - Posted a pamphlet-length history of Burbank, Ranchos de los Santos - The Story of Burbank (1927). There are a lot of photos, but I didn't reproduce them due to fears about bandwidth usage (I pay for this site myself) and the fact that, being half-toned, they scan oddly. (They have big dots on the image.) But the text is all there!

8/20/10 - Posted Snow in Burbank (1/13/50), Johnny Carson moves (1972), San Val theater (1975), Glenoaks and Orange Grove, 1970s.

8/19/10 - Posted 1940 Valhalla Crash (front), 1940 Valhalla Crash (back), Boeing Airport plans, 1940 Valhalla portal, 1950s.

8/18/10 - Exclusive to Burbankia! We reveal the true 1899 origin of the old intersection name "Turkey Crossing" - Click here. You might know there would be a J.W. Fawkes mention... P.S. The history books citing an accident date in the 1920's are wrong.

8/17/10 - Posted Trash trucks on Olive, 1950s, San Fernando Road (aerial 1950s), Alameda and San Fernando, 1970s, Accordion performance, 1950s/1960s, 80 E. Olive (Community Chevrolet), 1973, SST Schedule, Lockheed Plant Map 1, Lockheed Plant Map 2 and Lockheed Plant Map 3.

8/16/10 - I'm back from leave. Did the Washington D.C. tourism thing with Mike McDaniel and family. Got all sorts of Burbank stuff from Mike to post, in addition to an honest-to-goodness vintage Burbank High School clock to hang in my garage and a box of Martino's teacakes! Watch for new stuff here in the next few weeks... Tim Avery (I saw him in June) adds a memory to the Burbankers Remember page. Do you have Burbank memories? Send them to me for inclusion here!

8/9/10 - Posted Burbank Blvd. overpass opened (L.A. Times, 5/4/1961).

8/6/10 - Posted Starlighters (L.A. Times, 7/21/1958)!

8/5/10 - Posted some Los Angeles Times articles I found to the Debbie Reynolds, Miss Burbank 1948 article. Also posted Burbank's 50th Anniversary Jubilee.

8/4/10 - Posted some Los Angeles Times articles I found to the Fawkes Folly article. Okay, I think I'm done with J.W. Fawkes for the time being...

8/3/10 - Posted Bar's TV at Magnolia and Hollywood Way, 1970's, Magnolia and Hollywood Way, 1970's, Warners Sign, late 1950's, First Flight, 1955, Public Service Department, 1950's and Wanamaker Rents and Burbank Ford, 1960's. Also, here's a link to the Burbank Leader's story on the City of Burbank Centennial Float.

8/2/10 - Posted some new articles I found to the Fawkes Family Follies article. Did that family get the publicity or what?

7/30/10 - Exclusive to Burbankia and another major article: Consolidation Joe. I have some more J.W. Fawkes articles I'll post next week...

7/29/10 - Posted two images of Alameda Ave., 1932: Alameda Ave. in 1932, one and Alameda Ave. in 1932, two.

7/28/10 - Posted Burbank host to war-bound Marines (I KNOW they appreciated Miss Burbank Fire Fighter, Warrene Ott!) and Burbank to buy TVs for Marines. Semper Fi!

7/27/10 - Posted Burbank has a sense of humor about itself, Vickroy Park opened and City Extends California St. into Vietnam. I like that last one...

7/26/10 - Is it "Burbanker" or "Burbankian?" Mike and I weigh in!

7/23/10 - Check this out, exclusive to Burbankia and a major article: The Fawkes Family Follies. We know the name Fawkes from his famous monorail, but in his lifetime he and his family gained a lot more publicity than that. Calling them "dysfunctional" would be putting it mildly...

7/22/10 - Posted Mormon Church Renovates Historical Building (1986).

7/21/10 - I did some research into a helicopter crash I remember which took place in a vacant lot not far from my elementary school when I was nine. At first I thought this was the August 1966 crash that took the life of KMPG reporter Max Schumacher, but became puzzled when I learned that that crash took place over Dodger Stadium, not in Burbank. The Max Schumacher Burbank crash I recall took place earlier in 1966, on 30 January. The article that explains all this is here. As is sometimes the case, the paper got it wrong. The crash didn't happen near the Lockheed Air Terminal (airport); it happened near the Lockheed plant on Empire Ave.

7/19/10 - Posted a link to Cold War Airplane Crash - thanks Cathy Palmer!

7/16/10 - I posted Mike McDaniel's article, "A Short History of the Mormon Church in Burbank". Mike wrote, "Members of the Mormon Church have served and continue to be of service in the Burbank Community through business and community activities..." to which I add, "...and this website!"

7/15/10 - A couple of old photos of the Pacific Electric "Red Cars" that went down Glenoaks. Pacific Electric Red Car on Glenoaks, 1939 and Pacific Electric Red Car on Glenoaks, 1952.

7/14/10 - Today we note Burbank's Finest! Added Police Radar Van, c. 1959 (I'm proud of my detective work with that billboard), The Police Chief's Office and Police and Fire departments, 1930's.

7/13/10 - Added People From Burbank, California (wikipedia). Also, Renee Wirick alerted me to this interesting .pdf file on Burbank's website: City of Burbank - Citywide Historic Context Report (September 2009).

7/12/10 - Added The Curtain Raisers (complete list of productions) to the Golden Mall Playhouse page. Thanks, Walt!

7/9/10 - Mike McDaniel adds a memory to the Burbankers Remember page - "Operation Cookie Lift." Do you have Burbank memories? Send them to me for inclusion here! Also, posted Bombers at Lockheed plant (Fortune magazine, 1941). It's the Lockheed factory on Empire, pre-U.S. involvement. Hudson bombers were flown to the Canadian border, then dragged across with horses into Canada for the flight to Newfoundland then England. U.S. law did not allow planes made for other countries war efforts to be flown out of the US. Thanks to the Burbank Aviation Museum for this and the 7/7 Portal shots!

7/7/10 - Added some additional photos to the Portal of the Folded Wings Shrine to Aviation page (scroll to bottom). Also added a link to the John Burroughs High School Class of 1967. (If the photos look familiar it's because they're taken from this site!)

7/6/10 - Posted Alameda Ave./I-5 Freeway Construction (c. 1956).

7/2/10 - Thanks to an anonymous contributor - I couldn't talk him out of remaining unknown - I have placed three great new image links on the Fawkes Folly page (scroll to bottom of page). I still say I would have liked to have been able to take a ride on that thing!

7/1/10 - Thanks to Mike McDaniel and e-Bay I am able to post a Ben Mar Development page, describing a notable 1920's-1930's Burbank land speculation debacle.

6/30/10 - A reader once suggested that we get some photos of the John Burroughs High Memorial Stadium before it is torn down and refurbished, so we did. Mike McDaniel's photos appear as a link on the Memorial Field page. There is something moody and evocative about an empty high school athletic field, especially, I'd imagine, for those who played football there, or took part in field meets. Think of the Friday night crowds for the annual Burbank-Burroughs rivalry in days gone by... all the students down through the decades who met there... Anyway, we look forward to seeing the changes implemented. Looks promising. And looking at Mike's photos, one must admit that the facility has become run down with age and use. Also added the Throttle Queens image, which I got from the "So You're From Burbank..." Facebook page.

6/29/10 - Posted Mike McDaniel's photos of Memorial Day in Burbank, 31 May 2010.

6/28/10 - The subject is still Lockheed... Airport, 1939, 1948 Air Force Day at the airport, Camo cover over Lockheed, Joe and Flora Foss at Lockheed.

6/25/10 - Continuing the aviation theme from yesterday... July 1985 "Lockheed Life" article about the B-17, page 1, page 2, page 3. I also posted this 1950's Lockheed Pistol and Rifle Club Patch and a 1931 Red Cross Air Show envelope.

6/24/10 - Restructured the Portal of the Folded Wings Shrine to Aviation page; I added a link to a gallery of Mike's photos.

6/23/10 - More photos: 1930 Army Air Corps Show at the airport, 1963 Olive Rec Center Bicycle Safety, Bob's at San Fernando and Cedar, Burbank Junction on Burbank Blvd., Clerks in the Old City Hall building, Helen Addison Howard in 1966, James Jeffries, Debbie Reynolds and possibly Shirley Temple, late 1940's,1949 Snow on Old City Hall and Villa Hotel (long view).

6/22/10 - Mike has come into a bunch of old Paul E. Wolfe Burbank photos and other material; some of these look like first generation photos, some look like photos of photos. There are a bunch of them and I'll start running them as I can get them formatted. Here are the first three: Olive and San Fernando, Burbank Villa Hotel, 1887 and Flood on San Fernando, 1928.

6/21/10 - Patti Maisner found this one on an e-Bay sale: Added 1951 Electronics Assemblers, said to be in Burbank. It could be in Lockheed. It must have been warm in the facility in which these ladies worked. Either that, or they were trying to see if they could mess up production from the males in the factory.

6/18/10 - Added San-Val with streets. New stuff coming next week... I need time to sort through it...

6/17/10 - Added a page about the Portal of the Folded Wings Shrine to Aviation in Valhalla Park. While the entrance and some of the grounds are technically in North Hollywood, most of the park and the portal are, in fact, in Burbank. Besides, my parents are buried near the portal so it's appropriate.

6/16/10 - Thanks to Walt Gilmore and Julie Dion I added The Golden Mall Playhouse.

6/4/10 - I posted an epic saga: Walking Home From School.

6/3/10 - W. Martin adds a memory to the Burbankers Remember page. Do you have Burbank memories? Send them to me for inclusion here!

6/1/10 - Greg Alaimo is on the Veterans' Committee in Burbank; this is a photo he has taken in Vietnam during the war!

5/28/10 - For some reason I thought of Lockheed's famous Pneumonia Alley, and realized that an account of it had to go into the Burbankers Remember page (along with text from Kathy Falk). Remember - if you have Burbank memories please send them to me for inclusion here!

5/26/10 - By reader request, I added a page about the Memorial Field at John Burroughs High School.

5/25/10 - Eldridge Ballew Keller (via the Senior Bulldogs Newsletter) adds memories to the Burbankers Remember page. Do you have Burbank memories? Send them to me for inclusion here!

5/21/10 - Posted The Patsy Award Pawprints at the Burbank Animal Shelter.

5/17/10 - Posted Lt. Col. Lang's remarks to the Maxam Park page.

5/14/10 - Posted Mike McDaniel's photos from the Maxam Park dedication ceremony last month to the Maxam Park page.

5/13/10 - Posted Union Air Terminal postcard.

5/12/10 - Posted three photos of the Providencia Motel: One, Two, Three. Cathy Nicholls Coyle supplied these. She lived there for seven years with her parents, who owned the business.

5/11/10 - Posted a new little historical reference, A Brief History of Burbank, California (1961). It was published on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of Burbank's incorporation.

5/10/10 - Joseph Brown, Jim Baldridge and I add memories to the Burbankers Remember page. Do you have Burbank memories? Send them to me for inclusion here!

5/5/10 - Added the 2001 Burbank City Hall Chamber Renovation and Mural Restoration .

5/4/10 - Added the The Dip: Paul Rosen and Gail Ptack. (It goes with this photo.) The Five Points as it used to be. Additional info: I am informed by his son that, sadly, Paul Rosen and his sister Gail Ptack died some years ago. I really liked these two. I used to stop at the Dip on my walk home from BHS to get a malt every day. Paul always treated me like an adult and Gail, a sweet person, moved like a ballerina.

5/3/10 - Added the Pacific Electric Railway map.

4/30/10 - Looks like the City cleaned up the Hillside "B" for the upcoming 100th anniversary. (It looks a whole lot more presentable than it did for a few days in August 2005 when it was vandalized...)

4/27/10 - Douglas White adds a memory to the Burbankers Remember page.

4/26/10 - Darryl Eisele and Michael Reighley adds memories to the Burbankers Remember page.

4/22/10 - Added a new article, which I hope YOU will help me to write: Burbankers Remember. Carol Hill Olmstead starts us off...

4/20/10 - Added links to Cathy Palmer's BHS Class of 1967 and Linda Mustion's blog pages to the Larry Maxam Park Dedication (17 Apr 2010).

4/19/10 - SEMPER FIDELIS! Posted Larry Maxam Park Dedication (17 Apr 2010). Rest in Peace, Corporal Maxam.

4/15/10 - Posted Then and now: the Providencia Motel.

4/13/10 - As long as we're on the subject of odd Burbank buildings... posted Burbank's Mushrooms Eatery, c. 1928.

4/9/10 - Posted Burbank's Pumpkin Building! It's a work in progress... I'm looking for commentary and memories about it. I will update this page as I receive more information.

4/7/10 - Posted Burbank LDS (Latter-Day Saint, "Mormon") Scout Patch.

4/2/10 - Posted Burbank Main Library room in ad, 1964.

3/29/10 - Posted Burbank Symphony Orchestra, c. 1940's and Disney Studios. Thanks Patti Maisner!

3/26/10 - Posted You Know You're From Burbank If..., a piece I adapted from the Facebook page of the same name (if you're on Facebook, search for it). Also, reader Ken Taylor writes, "I note that you do not always indicate that the park now known as McCambridge Park was originally named Glenoaks Park before the City made extensive renovations and renamed it. I worked there as a summer Recreation Supervisor for the Burbank Parks Department when I was going to Glendale College back in the 1940's." We are so advised! Thanks, Ken.

3/25/10 - Posted Warner Brothers Studios, 1940s?, United Air Lines plane, 1934-1936, First Church of Christ Scientist, 1940s, Villa Cabrini, St. Robert Bellarmine, 1940s. Thanks, Tim Loya!

3/8/10 - Posted House on Victory (Jeffries Barn), 1943. (Mike found this photo via a fellow his son knows; we think it's cool that the celebrated Jeffries Barn can be seen in the background).

3/5/10 - Posted Magnolia Theater, 1944 and California Theater, 1950's.

3/4/10 - Posted Burbank Theater Links.

3/3/10 - Can you name all the Canyons in Burbank?

3/2/10 - And now, the rather seedy backside of San Fernando Road (remember when you could enter stores from the back?): Back of the Heidelberg Haus, Back of Lyon's Men's Shop, Behind the Loma Theater, Behind Perren's Deli, Store back behind San Fernando Rd. between Orange Grove and Palm. And... this ends my current crop of photos uploads for now!

3/1/10 - Here are some San Fernando Road photographs from the 1960's: San Fernando Road, 1960s, San Fernando Road at Orange Grove, 1960s, San Fernando Road looking towards Olive, 1960s. Mike and I would like to stop into Perren's Deli for lunch, then check out the cars at the MG dealership...

Also, from Cathy Palmer's blog, Remember the Mouseketeers. There's some Burbank lore here.

2/26/10 - Here are some old Olive Avenue photographs: Main Fire Headquarters 353 Olive Ave., 1970's, Olive Avenue bridge, 1960, Olive Rec Center construction, Olive Rec Patio Area - 1, Olive Rec Patio Area - 2, Olive Stadium, 1946 - 1, Olive Stadium, 1946 - 2.

A reader asked about Stelling-Hellings. The name immediately invoked a memory of 1960's stickers of a gap-toothed British race car driver with a handlebar mustache, but initially I wasn't sure of the context. Does anyone have an image of this? The only images that comes up when I google the name is this - which reveals that Stelling and Hellings was an automotive parts or speed store on 2000 West Burbank Blvd. But the driver logo isn't quite what I'm remembering... Apparently they're still in existence in La Crescenta.

2/25/10 - Today I posted some McCambridge Park photos: McCambridge basketball, 1940's(?), McCambridge putting green, Original McCambridge park building, 1940's - 1, Original McCambridge park building, 1940's - 2, Old Timer's Picnic, 1961. Also added Mike's hat to the BHS Nixon rally image I posted earlier this week.

Also, some sad news: Amerio Corradi, notable Burbanker, passed away earlier this month.

2/24/10 - Today's topic of interest is the Columbia Ranch (now called the Warner Ranch), alongside Hollywood Way - the home of Hazel, the Monkees, I Dream of Jeannie, Bewitched, the Partridge Family and countless movies. I added this great aerial image: Columbia Ranch, 1950's. But be sure to check out this web site: ColumbiaRanch.net. The interactive map will help you make sense of what you're looking at. A very nice site!

2/23/10 - Added 1968 Nixon Rally in front of Burbank High, 1968 Nixon Rally - Rowan and Martin. Also added Burbank in the 1920's, Airport commissioners, 1978, City councilman scratches head, General Eaton speaks, 1962, Burbank Golden Anniversary, 1961 and Empire Avenue Castle, 1974.

2/22/10 - Added Burbank Golden Mall Photos - Construction to Completion to the The Burbank Golden Mall 1967-1989 page. Yes, I know there's a repeat photo here and there. Sorry. Our configuration management is a little sloppy! You will note that we cite Kessler Jewelers as being the last remaining business from the Golden Mall days on San Fernando Road. Or Boulevard... or whatever it really is. (This is a point of contention among readers, it seems.)

2/19/10 - Remember Burbank's trailer parks? Trailer park close to Victory Blvd. (undated), Trailer park view, 1974.

And how about Burbank's Little Theatre? Remember that? Little Theatre Construction (undated) and Little Theatre, 1957. Finally, here's the Burbank's original train depot, 1970's.

2/18/10 - Posted circa 1950's Paul E. Wolfe photos of City Hall: Daytime, Nighttime, Council Chamber. Also, Daily Review office on Orange Grove, 1970's and Hancock Gas Station on Orange Grove and Third, 1960's. Note correction below - the bicycle safety course was at Olive Rec, not McCambridge Park.

Most importantly, note the Maxam Park flyer. The City of Burbank is renaming Pacific Park in honor of Cpl. Larry Maxam, USMC - Burbank's only Medal of Honor recipient. His Burbankia page is here; it explains why he was awarded the Medal of Honor.

2/17/10 - A series of photos showing 1960's Burbank kids negiotiating a tricky bicycle safety course at the Olive Rec Center back parking lot: One (the girl in the foreground looks like she just blew it - in front of all those boys, yet), Two (she's on her way), Three and Four. I don't see any Schwinn Sting-Rays, so I'm guessing this was before 1964, possibly the 1950's. Did you ever take one of these tests?

2/16/10 - We're back with ninety new-old photographs that I'll be posting in the coming weeks! We start with a series of postcards depicting the construction of the NBC studios back in 1954: 6/10/54, 6/29/54, 7/2/54, 7/21/54, 8/10/54, 10/6/54 (first), 10/6/54 (second), 10/6/54 (third), 10/6/54 (fourth) and 10/6/54 (last). Cool, huh?

2/13/10 - My family moved to Burbank 45 years ago today!

1/28/10 - Patti Maisner (BHS '75) alerted me to these two auction photos: "Color City" (NBC Studios), 1955 and Lockheed blackout, 1941. Thanks, Patti!

1/27/10 - Cathy Palmer, roving investigative reporter from BHS '67, has a cool blog entry about how a Burbank girl inspired the Beach Boys' song "Be True to Your School." She calls it "The Beach Boys in Burbank." Check it out; it is now a permanent link on this page. Her blog and this page are rather like sister sites...

1/15/10 - Posted Collins Radio, The Elizabeth Building and Dr. David Burbank's parents. I also added a link to a Burbank Leader article to the Dr. David Burbank Statue and Dedication page. Annddd... that's it for a while, I think.

1/14/10 - Here's our page on the recent Dr. David Burbank Statue and Dedication. Mike was there with his trusty camera!

1/13/10 - Posted a rare, generally unseen image of Dr. David Burbank with his horse. I do not have a source, date or attributation for this image. I have grouped all the known David Burbank portraits I have on the History page. Also, posted a photo of the late, great Hotel Savoy. I recall visiting the lobby, once, c. 1972. It was remarkably decrepit. It looked like a set for a movie about a skid row district.

1/12/10 - Posted a link for Cathy Palmer's Burbank High School Blog. This is where you can find senior pictures.

1/11/10 - Posted The Burbank Theatre.

1/8/10 - Posted excerpts from the 30 November 1889 Burbank Times. And that's all I have for the Times reprints... Also added Lockheed in Burbank, 1928-1994, Selected Highlights.

AND...

Five Points Dedication - Dr. Burbank statue unveiling
Date: 1/12/2010 11:00 AM - 12:30 PM
Location: corner of Burbank Blvd. & Victory Blvd.
1075 West Burbank Blvd., Burbank, California

Please join the City of Burbank on Tuesday, January 12 for the Five Points Dedication and Dr. David Burbank Statue Unveiling. The ceremony will be held 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at 1075 West Burbank Blvd. (corner of Burbank Blvd. and Victory Blvd.) Don't miss this historical day in the City of Burbank. Enjoy food, giveaways, and more! Limited parking will be available in the Costco parking lot. For more information, please call (818) 238-5300.

1/7/10 - Posted excerpts from the 27 April 1889 and the 16 November 1889 Burbank Times.

More coming.

Also posted Union Air Terminal, with Lockheed plane, 1930's and Union Air Terminal, 1930's.

1/6/10 - Posted excerpts from the 6 April 1889, the 13 April 1889 and the 20 April 1889 Burbank Times. Be sure to read the editor's little notes. They're interesting and shed light on small town Burbank. For instance, did you know that in 1889 "a gang of Chinamen" were harvesting wild horehound in the river bottom below the Ostrich Farm (wherever that was)? The dried leaves were used as a cough remedy. There were thousands of tons of wild horehound in Burbank, once upon a time.

More coming.

Also posted July 5th, 1948 fire. A stray firecracker from the day before, do you suppose?

1/5/10 - Posted excerpts from the 30 March 1889 Burbank Times. More coming.

1/4/10 - About the Bus line 29 I posted last month, Kent Barcus writes: "This was the Pacific Electric rail line which ran from the Burbank station west of Olive Ave. on Glenoaks into Glendale and then LA. It also used to run further west on Glenoaks through Burbank and into Roscoe/Sun Valley probably in the 20s and 30s but was subject to derailing due to the downslope from about Bethany to Scott Road--this according to a man I knew who was a Pac. El. conductor as well as my Dad's recollections from growing up in Burbank. What was the Burbank station or car barn behind City Hall became a car wash and I remember seeing the train there in the early 1950s. Docent tours were conducted in the 1980s of the subway facility on Hill St in downtown LA."

Added Cathy Nicholls Coyle's comments and photos to the Marine Corps Day in Burbank, 3/23/1968.

12/30/09 - Posted Bus line 29 and Bus line 29-2.

12/24/09 - Posted Marine Corps Day in Burbank, 1968. Also posted Burbank Nite at Disneyland 1975 (I was at the 1976 one) as well as Bel Air Palms Motel postcard, 1950's. And that's it through the holidays! Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

12/23/09 - Let's set the controls on the Way Back Machine to 1973 and visit Burbank's fabulous Golden Mall. 1973 Images of the Golden Mall. (Added to the Golden Mall page.) Uhhhh... it doesn't look especially fabulous or golden, does it?

12/22/09 - The good news is that I recently got a bunch of interesting old images of Burbank, as well as nearly 200 images from an 1889 edition of the Burbank Times. The bad news is that it's almost Christmas, I have kids flying in and I'll be preoccupied. Here's Tennessee Ernie Ford at the new DeBell Golf Course, 1959 for you while I'm preparing all these images.

12/17/09 - The Burbank Police Department used to use Nash Metropolitans..

12/9/09 - Posted You're Seriously Old San Fernando Valley If You.... Thanks, Jim Baldridge!

12/1/09 - Posted Burbank's Oldest Alumni (in 1978). Thanks, Herb Vincent!

11/27/09 - It snowed in the Verdugo Hills in the winter of 1978/1979; here's the proof. As I recall we got some hailstones in the Valley. (Photo taken by the corner of Cypress and Kenneth.)

11/17/09 - Posted The Burbank Branch (part of abandonedrails.com).

11/16/09 - Posted Burbank Villa. I think this is probably from the late 1880's.

11/4/09 - Mike McDaniel found a great old aerial shot of Burbank on e-Bay. I have posted it: 1920s/1930s Aerial Shot of Burbank. Looks like it was taken from a bi-plane, based on the strut in the shot...

11/3/09 - Posted Aging Dr. David Burbank. Also added a link to the findagrave.com gravesite entry for Dr. David Burbank.

10/19/09 - Posted New Country Club in color. Taken circa 1950. Thanks to Wallace King for the photo! (His uncle Hal Bowns was the photographer.)

9/29/09 - Ancient murder on Buena Vista! Posted Knapp's arrowhead collection.

9/14/09 - Posted Lockheed, 1940's, Hollywood Way and Opening of Union Airport, 1930. Thanks, Cathy!

9/11/09 - Finished at last! I have posted the 216 page Burbank Community Book (1944), a major addition to this site. It's a funny kind of thing. The book badly needs editing, has odd sentence construction, uses the word "pretentious" in a positive way, is fond of the phrase "wide awake" and has various spelling errors that, for the sake of authenticity, I didn't fix. But it is certainly an engaging, lively, community-spirited work. I liked the tales about the men in tuxedos fighting the 1927 fire, the story of the doctor who didn't look up and thus saved his life, the little lost girl who made her way from Vickroy Park to Pacoima, the Burbank Official Song, etc. It's highly recommended for those interested in Burbank history and stands as a good companion work to the 1967 History of Burbank published by the school system.

Also, I posted a search tool for the website onto the front page. Now you can search for names, places, etc. Don't know why I didn't add that years ago...

9/10/09 - Posted Plane Crash in Burbank? I have fourteen pages left to scan of the Burbank Community Book (1944). I might have it up tomorrow or early next week at the latest...

09/09/09 - Posted an additional photo of Roberts Drive In (which used to be at the corner of Victory and Olive) to the photos page. I'd love to be in one of those old cars, chewing on a burger and downing a malt under the glare of those neon lights... what fun! I am still working on converting The Burbank Community Book (1944) to HTML. I've got another 40 pages left to do plus photos. Be patient.

9/8/09 - Reader James Moloney contributes this to the account of the 1927 fire.

9/4/09 - Added some more old photos taken at the Olive Rec Center: St. Louis Browns at the Olive Rec Memorial Stadium - 1, St. Louis Browns at the Olive Rec Memorial Stadium - 2, St. Louis Browns vs. Cleveland Indians at the Olive Rec Memorial Stadium, Olive Rec Center Memorial Stadium wide angle - 1, Olive Rec Center Memorial Stadium wide angle - 2, Outdoor boxing event at the Olive Rec Memorial Stadium, late 40's/early 50's - 1, Outdoor boxing event at the Olive Rec Memorial Stadium late 40's/early 50's - 2. And that does it for this current batch of photos. Now I'm working on converting the 1944 Burbank Community Book into HTML, a task that will take weeks (it requires optical character recognition and correction). Stay tuned.

Seeing as how hillfires are currently in the news, here's an excerpt from this 1944 history I'm working on - an account of when, 82 years ago, Burbankers in tuxedos were drafted to help put out fires: The Big Fire of 1927.

Oh, and be sure to check out the City of Burbank's newly revamped website at burbankusa.com - all sorts of stuff there. Have a great Labor Day weekend, folks!

9/3/09 - Added old photos taken at the Olive Rec Center: Olive Recreational Center aerial shot, Olive Rec Center with Navy flag, Memorial Stadium wide angle (pardon my clumsy Photoshopping), Youth boxing at Olive Rec.

9/2/09 - Added old photos taken at the Starlight Bowl: The Burbank Symphony Orchestra in concert, 1946, Starlight Bowl, 1946, Starlight Bowl from stage - center, Starlight Bowl from stage - left, Starlight Bowl from stage - right. Also added KFWB radio concert, late 1940's,

9/1/09 - Added a new photo to the Burbank's Space Capsule of Love page.

8/31/09 - I'm back from vacation. The topic for the day is the casting pool at the former Buena Vista Park (now Johnny Carson Park). Casting Pool, 1952 Dedication, Casting Pool, 1950's, Casting Pool, 1954 Sailboat Regatta, Casting Pool, Sailboat Regatta, Casting Pool, 1950's.

8/18/09 - More photos: Verdugo Pool Dedication, 1948 (Debbie Reynolds?), Movies at Providencia School, Train wreck, Fire Department Station #1, 1950, Burbank Police Motor Officers, 1950's (front), Burbank Police Motor Officers, 1950's (back), Burbank Police Detectives, 1950's (front), Burbank Police Detectives, 1950's (back). More when I return...

8/17/09 - I've got a bunch of new images and an entire book to post, but, sadly, you'll have to wait until I come back from vacation to see them! Here's a taste: 1943 Girls Softball Champions, 1944 Girls Softball, Boys baseball, 1944-1945, Union Air Terminal.

8/10/09 - Posted Ravens Car Club plaque. Thanks, Dan!

7/30/09 - Posted Vickroy Park tetherball, 1950s.

7/29/09 - Posted Helpful Cop on State Route 99 - Feb., 1950 (Front St.).

7/24/09 - Posted What Plane? (Thanks Cathy!)

7/23/09 - Posted some scans of an 1889 issue of The Burbank Times.

7/21/09 - Posted a couple of photographs of an Elks Club rodeo held at the Jeffries Ranch in 1930: One and Two.

7/17/09 - In the market for flare jeans, wide ties, body shirts or sashes? Naturally, it's The Lamplighter Boutique for Men on Magnolia! (Thanks to the Senior Bulldogs Newsletter for this one.)

7/15/09 - Have a desire to drink yourself blind? Do it the Burbank way with Gold Stake Straight Corn Whiskey, made right here in town by the Three G Distillery Corporation!

7/14/09 - Burbank's "Rosie the Riveter" died recently; here's her obit.

7/10/09 - Okay, here's another artist name for you: Bartholomew Mako. He's the artist who carved the bas reliefs on the outside of Burbank City Hall, not to mention that wonderful art deco eagle at the top. Here are some Mako images: One, Two, Three, Four, Five, Six, Seven, Eight, Nine, Ten.

7/9/09 - As you may or may not know, there is an important Hugo Ballin work in the Burbank City Hall, "The Four Freedoms." Here are various Hugo Ballin artifacts pertaining to it: One, Two, Three, Four, Five, Six, Seven, Eight.

7/8/09 - Mike McDaniel explains Front Street and Interstate 5 in Burbank. Why does the traffic back up there? Because it curves. Why does it curve? Here's why!

7/7/09 - Posted Golden State motel postcard.

7/6/09 - Posted Vickroy Park opening newspaper clipping and Vickroy Park opening program.

6/29/09 - Today we honor Joseph W. Fawkes: Visionary, Burbank landowner, attempted Disincorporator, painter, Patent-holder and Builder of the World's First Aerial Trolley Car. Based on some new information dug up by Mike and myself, I posted a map and a couple of patent links to the Fawkes Folly page, as well as some personal stuff about him listed at the end of the page. You know, I would have loved to see that thing scuttle down the line, driven by that enormous propeller! The little band plays, a flag is fitted to the car, the prop is revved up and away it goes. Very cool.

By looking at old records, Mike figured out what that factory is at the bottom of this detail from a 1940 shot: The General Water Heater Corporation factory roofline. As the name suggests, they built water heaters.

Finally, I created a new Burbankia main logo from a 1923 set of maps Mike dug up!

6/26/09 - Posted Burbank from Stough Park, 1940's (which has details: Burbank High, Borrmann Steel, Browns Stadium, City Hall, Light and Power Bldg. and Old Muir School), Debell, Castaway, Starlight Parking construction, Debell construction, Starlight Bowl concert, 1940, Starlight Bowl construction, Starlight Bowl parking lot, 1955, Stough Park BBQ, 1950s, Stough Park wading pool, Stough Park picnic area, Women's softball 1950's and Women's softball 1950's (back of photo). Also posted photos from the second annual (1944) "6-16" (ages six to sixteen) model building contest: One, Two, Three, Four, Five, Six, Seven, Eight and photos from the third annual (1945) contest: One, Two, Three, Four. Whew! And that's it for a while, all my photos in this batch - 99 of 'em in total. Hope you liked them!

6/25/09 - Posted Aerial view of Burbank, 1983, Bonnywood Place, circa 1956 (this is a good one, lots of detail!), Bonnywood Pl. and Magnolia, 1950's, Lockheed F104 dedication at the Olive Rec Center, First pitch at Olive Stadium, Navy officer speaks at the Olive Stadium dedication, Veteran speaks at the Olive Stadium dedication. Also posted Standard Brands: Paint Central in Burbank.

6/24/09 - Posted Olive Ave. storm drain - 1, Olive Ave. storm drain - 2, Olive Ave. storm drain - 3, Olive Ave. storm drain - 4, Train incident, 1950's - 1, Train incident, 1950's - 2, Verdugo Ave. Train incident, 1950's - 1, Verdugo Ave. Train incident, 1950's - 2. I hope you're enjoying all these old photos - I have more!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MIKE!

6/23/09 - Posted Firestone store on San Fernando Rd. and San Jose, 1985 - 1, Firestone store on San Fernando Rd. and San Jose, 1985 - 2, Firestone store on San Fernando Rd. and San Jose, 1985 - 3, San Fernando Road, 1970's, Moreland Truck Company factory, overhead shot, San Fernando Road near McCambridge Park, 1950's, San Fernando Road near McCambridge Park, 1950's- 2.

I also fixed a wrongly attributed photo, which at first Mike and I called "Magnolia and First." A reader wrote in and told us, "That's not First St. That's Front St." Turns out we were all wrong. It's Front Street today, but was Bonnywood Place back then. This clearly appears on a sign sign at the bottom that we somehow completely missed! The newly-captioned photo is here. As other photos came to light it appears that some major regrading was done when I-5 was built that changed all the street designations in that general area. Anyway... as I wrote before, an account of how Bonnywood Place became I-5 is in the works.

6/22/09 - Posted Burbank Blvd., 1953, Burbank Blvd., 1953, 2, Burbank Blvd., 1970's (Home Savings), Burbank Blvd., 1973, Burbank Blvd., Nov. 1972, Burbank Blvd., Sept., 1954.

6/19/09 - Posted Burbank Creamery milk bottle, Burbank Line Bus Tokens, Glenoaks widening 1, Glenoaks widening 2, Glenoaks and Grismer, Riverside Dr. and Pass Ave. 1, Riverside Dr. and Pass Ave. 2, Riverside Dr. and Pass Ave. 3.

6/18/09 - Posted Western Disposal Area, Feb. 1950, Western Disposal Area, Feb. 1950, 2, Marty's Meals, L-1011 Needs Engineers, Hollywood Way and Empire, The Dip, April 1972, The Five Corners, 1973.

6/17/09 - Posted Northwest Park 1, Northwest Park 2, Bill's Ranch Market from the air, Bill's Ranch Market (closer), Victory and Magnolia, Magnolia and 1st, 1954, Magnolia and 1st, 1985, 99 East Magnolia, 1985. The Victory and Magnolia shot is of special interest and will form a visual basis for a little article Mike is working out about how Bonnywood became I-5.

6/16/09 - Posted Flying A station on Olive and 3rd, Asphalt Plant on Clybourne, Fireballs Softball Team, Old Fire Station on 3rd and Olive, The Public Works Yard, 1st St. and Magnolia looking North, BHS tennis courts, 3rd and Delaware, The newer Burbank Country Club, Gibraltar Savings, 1985, Bank of America, 401 Golden Mall, 1985, Aerial shot of Mensaco, High water at Pass and Alameda, Roberts Drive in and Brown Stadium.

6/15/09 - Stand by! I'll be posting a whole bunch of old Burbank photos. Check back daily. Posted Olive Avenue looking West, Original Elks Lodge on Palm, 1985, Big 5 and Standard Brands on Victory Blvd., Burbank Hospital, 1929, Andrew Jergens Co., 1960s and Burbank Safety Council Keeps Score.

6/4/09 - Posted Parked at the Post Office, Postcard: San Fernando West of Olive and 205 S. San Fernando Rd.

5/28/09 - Posted Sailee's Coffee Shop.

5/26/09 - Thanks to readers Dan Waite, Pam Kirkwood, Cathy Palmer and Herb Vincent I have posted a better Burbank Military Academy page. The building still stands!

5/22/09 - Thanks to reader Lyla El-Safy I can post some images from the now defunct Burbank Military Academy's 1936 editon of "the Buzzer," their yearbook. Image one, Image two, Image three, Image four, Image five and Image six. Lyla writes, "There were photos of the dorm rooms, boys doing their activities, etc. I did notice a mention that the Academy was started in 1932. I would guess it was started by Mrs. L.G. DeMonbrun, the Manager-Owner, who is shown after the title page in a photo with Dedication." Does anyone have any more information about the BMA - where it was located, when it closed, etc.?

5/12/09 - Posted a link to the City of Burbank streamliner. Also added some history regarding the design of the Unimart Building.

5/11/09 - Here's John Muir School Creed.

4/20/09 - I think I've finally arrived at the truth about the so-called "Burbank Train Robbery" of 1894 - it was really the Sun Valley Train Robbery. I have updated my page (scroll to bottom).

4/7/09 - Linked to Hugo Ballin's Burbank City Hall Mural.

4/1/09 - I have some doubts about the article I posted yesterday, and have included these at the bottom, in addition to an 1894 citation of a train robbery involving Burbank.

3/31/09 - Added an article about an incident known to Western history as "The Burbank Train Robbery." Does anyone out there have more details? (Or know precisely where to dig?)

3/26/09 - Added a couple of articles by Burbankia guest writer Monte Thrasher: LOVE From Above and UFO Landing Pad.

3/24/09 - Added What Plane?

3/23/09 - Added Hamburger Paradise (Big Boy Bob's in Burbank).

3/20/09 - Added Puzzling Muir pin.

3/18/09 - Added Old Country Club traces.

3/6/09 - Added 1959 Time Capsule photos.

3/2/09 - Added Burbank rifle range. It shows the 1000 yard firing line of the Burbank Rifle and Revolver club. This may be where DeBell golf course is now. Also, posted Warner Bros. Works on the 1959 Time Capsule.

2/20/09 - Added some text (at the bottom) of the Fawkes Folly article.

2/19/09 - Posted some stuff Mike found on the 1953 Mabel Monohan murder: Barbara Graham newspaper clipping #1, Barbara Graham newspaper clipping #2, Barbara Graham newspaper clipping #3, Barbara Graham newspaper clipping #4, Barbara Graham newspaper clipping #5, Mabel Monohan.

2/18/09 - Posted Burbank Police Boys Band, 1955, Sample ballot 1914.

2/17/09 - Posted Aerial view of McCambridge Park shortly after being built (1959?), Easter service at Stough Park, 1938 and Stough Park Inspiration Point, 1936.

2/13/09 - Posted Shepherd's Cottage.

2/9/09 - Posted 1959 Time Capsule Found.

2/4/09 - Burbank 1976! (1976 time capsule). Thanks Cathy Palmer...

2/3/09 - Atomic power, monorails... it's Burbank 2009! (As envisioned in the 1959 Magnolia Blvd. Bridge time capsule).

1/30/09 - Posted Bud's Auto Service.

1/21/09 - Posted Jimmy Gerschler postcard, 1964 courtesy of Cathy Coyle.

1/16/09 - Posted Burbank airport, 1934 courtesy of Tim Loya.

1/14/09 - Posted First National Studios truck.

1/13/09 - Posted a link to Mike Toon's True (Burbank) Stories. Mike Toon is a friend of the older brother of a high school friend of Mike and I. Got that? This page describes some of his tales of causing trouble in and around Burbank in the mid-Sixties. The Shopping Bag grocery store ("Shopping Bag Market Bet"), for instance, used to be on Glenoaks and Winona. "Plumbing" describes a Chili John's-related gastric problem and "The Quag" is about the debris basin near DeBell golf course.

1/12/09 - Posted Civil Defense in Burbank, 1951.

1/7/09 - Posted Olive Stadium construction, 1, Olive Stadium construction, 2, DeBell Golf Course, early 1960's.

1/5/09 - Happy New Year! Posted Burbank's 1965 Tournament of Roses parade float, "Burbankopoly" (Image one, Image two, Image three, Image four, Image five), and 1969 Valley Greensheet page (Look at those car prices). Also, can any of you Burbank old-timers identify this old Burbank market? The sign seems to say "Goner Market" or "Coner Market" (there aren't enough letters for "Corner Market"). Added a new linked image to the Fawkes Folly page. Finally, Mike's beautiful "Burbank at Night" image, taken from the lot across the street from the Starlight Bowl. You can see why young couples have traditionally found it inspirational.

12/5/08 - Hey, this web site has been up for five years today!

11/25/08 - Posted Bank of America's main branch, 1963, Police Headquarters construction, 1960, Stough Parking Lot construction, The Sylvan Falls (up Country Club Dr.), Sylvan cabin, 1920s, Sylvan Falls visitors, 1920s, Country Club Pool (Johnny Weismuller's) and New Country Club (now LDS church) to the Photo section. The country club photos were provided by Doris Vick, who lived on Country Club Dr. for fifty years.

11/20/08 - Posted Bellarmine-Jefferson High School, June 1962, Warner Brothers, 1961, Warner Brothers, 1958, The Battle of Burbank - 1, The Battle of Burbank - 2, Dwarf cottage and Burbank wildcat to the Photo section.

11/19/08 - Posted Empire China Company, San Fernando Road, 1963, Postwar Trailers and Warner Brothers, 1937 to the Photo section. Also, rearranged photos more or less by category - that page is getting big!

11/18/08 - Posted Curries Ice Cream, 1960 - 1, Curries Ice Cream, 1960 - 2, Grape Pickers, c. 1928, Grape Picker, c. 1928, Landfill View, Owl Drugs, The Burbank Prowlers, Tsuki Teru car club and Shopping Bag to the Photo section. Also, added five new images to the Ansel Adams in Burbank page.

11/17/08 - Posted San Fernando Road, 1946, San Fernando Road, 1947, San Fernando Road, 1951, Public Service Department building, 1951, Warner Brothers, 1928 and Warner Brothers fire, 1952 to the Photo section.

11/14/08 - Posted Burbank's 1938 Tournament of Roses float, Burbank's 1939 Tournament of Roses float, Burbank's 1956 Tournament of Roses float and Burbank in 1916 to the Photo section.

11/13/08 - Posted 1963 Burbank Nazi Party Rally, Lockheed in 1934, James Jeffries funeral, 1953, The construction of I-5 in 1957, and Olive Ave., 1954 to the Photo section.

11/12/08 - Posted Foreman and Clark, Adlai Stevenson visits Lockheed, Cinecolor, Tractor on an airplane wing, and War veteran trailers to the Photo section.

11/10/08 - Posted Ansel Adams in Burbank.

11/3/08 - Added a link to Burbank.com, a site with many, many Burbank links.

10/24/08 - Posted Golden Mall Playhouse Productions. Once again, thanks, Julie Dion!

10/10/08 - Posted Golden Mall Playhouse, mid 70's - 1 and Golden Mall Playhouse, mid 70's - 2. Thanks, Julie Dion! Also posted Burbank High Dance at McCambridge Rec Center, 1943 - 1, Burbank High Dance at McCambridge Rec Center, 1943 - 2 Burbank High Dance at McCambridge Rec Center, 1943 - 3 Burbank High Dance at McCambridge Rec Center, 1943 - 4. Once again, photos from Burbankia's in-house image detective, Mike "Scoop" McDaniel.

10/9/08 - Posted Alameda and Glenoaks, 1958 and Hughes Brothers Gas station, 1940s. Also posted Country Club Drive (date unknown), Country Club Drive, facing down Olive (1963), Old Country Club Drive (date unknown) - 1, Old Country Club Drive (date unknown) - 2. Once again, photos from the intrepid Mike McDaniel.

10/8/08 - Posted some photos from 1942 showing the construction of the Burbank City Hall: City Hall construction, 1942 - 4, City Hall construction, 1942 - 5, City Hall construction, 1942 - 6, City Hall construction, 1942 - 7. All photos from the ever-vigilant Mike McDaniel.

10/5/08 - Posted Mudslide on Country Club Dr., 1962 or 1963 - 1, Mudslide on Country Club Dr., 1962 or 1963 - 2. Also posted some photos from 1942 showing the construction of the Burbank City Hall: City Hall construction, 1942 - 1, City Hall construction, 1942 - 2, City Hall construction, 1942 - 3. All photos from Mike McDaniel.

9/30/08 - Posted Victory Drive-In, thanks to Herb Vincent and the Senior Bulldogs newsletter. See entry for 9/25. Reader Bob Morgan confirmed that yes, there was once a wading pool at Vickroy Park. It was located at the end of Brighton St., where the tennis courts where later built. (I remember those.) The pool was removed between 1961 and February 1965, when I moved to the neighborhood. Mystery solved!

9/25/08 - Mike found an old photo marked simply, "Vickroy Park," which shows a wading pool. I moved into the neighborhood in February 1965, and there wasn't one there by then nor afterwards. Do any of you old-timers recall a wading pool at Vickroy Park, or is this photo mismarked?

9/23/08 - Posted Burbank Girl Inspires Beach Boys Song.

9/22/08 - Posted Burbank promotional films.

9/19/08 - Posted The Moreland Truck Company, 1917-1940 and Burbank's Official Song: "In Burbank".

9/18/08 - I'll give that other high school some mention: posted Burroughs High School 1963 Special Prom Guests.

9/17/08 - Just got back from Burbank, where I attended the Burbank High School Centennial Celebration. I had a blast! Here's my report.

9/4/08 - The BHS 100 poster.

9/2/08 - Posted four photos associated with the old Luttge Store: One, Two, Three, Four. Photos courtesy of the Burbank Historical Museum.

8/11/08 - My son assures me that all the hip and with-it webmasters make their links open new windows when clicked, so I have changed the coding in Burbankia to do that. I hope I didn't screw anything up!

8/1/08 - Just bought my plane tickets; I will be at the various Burbank High 100th anniversary events 11-15 September. Hope to see some of you there! I'll be the tall goof wearing a label that says, "Class of 1974."

7/11/08 - Posted Gelson's - Then and Now. A big Burbankia thanks to Bob Morgan!

6/26/08 - Posted A Few Words About Perren's Deli.

6/23/08 - Posted Olive Rec Center in the Snow. Also, posted the San-Val Drive-In Theater, 1972: One, Two, Three, Four, Five, Six, Seven, Eight.

4/2/08 - Thanks to reader Rosemarie Ellis, I have added a newspaper clipping about Mingay's 100th birthday and a program to the "Henry Mingay page."

3/26/08 - Added "Lockheed Comes to Burbank" and "Burbank Gets a Major Airfield."

3/20/08 - "The Spirit of Soho": You can travel all the way across the Atlantic and still see references to Burbank!

2/10/08 - Thanks to Darryl Eisele I am able to post this souvenir menu from Sargent's: front, menu, back. It's dated December 1959. My mother worked there 1969-1971; as a child I recall how hard the menu was to read!

1/30/08 - The Burbank High School Class of 1967 Blog site.

1/25/08 - FYI: The official BHS 100th anniversary web site is here.

12/5/07 - Burbankia is four years old today - cool!

11/30/07 - Posted Burbank High School, 100 years! Can you help?

11/13/07 - Just discovered BurbankHistory.com (click here), a clever website about - can you guess? - Burbank history. Check out the page about the celebrated Burbank Breathing Bush.

10/18/07 - Posted Burbank zinc stamps.

10/16/07 - Posted Burbank City Hall, 1950's, Burbank City Hall, Christmas, 1960's, Burbank City Hall, New Year, 1965 and Old Burbank seals. Also, Starlight Bowl 1965 Program and "Oklahoma" at the Starlight Bowl, Sept. 20/21, 1965.

9/24/07 - Posted A Notable Barrel Roll!

9/7/07 - Posted a link to Burbank Autobooks/Aerobooks - Since 1951. Thanks to Jim Baldridge for pointing it out!

9/4/07 - Posted a photo of Barbara Eden at the Golden Mall. Thanks, Ron Green!

8/28/07 - Posted a link to How To Hide An Airplane Factory.

8/14/07 - Posted Compass Tree Park.

7/12/07 - Well, here's something that I didn't know: in 1945 there was a camp (or two) in Burbank for Japanese-Americans who were interred during the war. They were staging places on Winona Ave. and also Magnolia Blvd. for them to live while they were finding permanent housing. I added a very incomplete page here.

7/11/07 - Added What Hasn't Changed in Burbank.

5/25/07 - Added a link to a youtube video: The Coral Cafe Ghost.

5/23/07 - Added some text from a reader to the Burbank's Space Capsule of Love article.

5/8/07 - Posted 1953 Plane Crash!

3/26/07 - Posted Freddie Sanchez Day and A Wartime Encounter!

3/9/07 - Posted Fire at Columbia Ranch!

2/9/07 - Posted A Softer Side of Lockheed and If you live in Burbank you know this is true!

2/1/07 - Posted Steingold's Art Van.

1/24/07 - Posted Elaine Hampton's fine Dartmouth photo to the top of my Snow in Burbank article.

1/22/07 - Posted a article about Burbank's T&A Hobby Lobby of fond recollection.

1/18/07 - RuthAnn Talley adds some historical comments to the Tribute to Burbank's Small Grocery Stores piece.

1/11/07 - Chris Besenty weighs in on The First Real Blackout in Burbank article. (Scroll down.) Was it perhaps really "The Battle of Los Angeles?"

1/4/07 - Here's a good one: what do air raids in Burbank and Elmer Fudd have in common? Added Joe Brown's comments to the The First Real Blackout in Burbank article. (Scroll down.)

1/3/07 - Happy New Year! Added a couple of photos from Sylvia Dodson Novak to the Snow in Burbank article.

12/11/06 - Posted Don Iwerks' photo of the Starlight Hills, early 1960's - thanks, Dan Krattiger! Also, added some commentary to Olive Rec Center built and Burbank Blvd. (before the overpass).

12/8/06 - My father-in-law Don Bilyeu adds some commentary to the The First Real Blackout in Burbank article.

12/7/06 - For Pearl Harbor Day (65 years ago today), Lou Schirm takes us back to the evening of January 24th, 1942, and describes The First Real Blackout in Burbank.

12/5/06 - This web site is three years old today. Cool.

11/27/06 - Posted Burbank Country Club pool view.

11/9/06 - Posted "The Fastest Guys Out There." (I think the SR-71, and not the Tonight Show, was the greatest thing to come out of Burbank.)

10/30/06 - Posted "His Old Haunts" about director Tim Burton returning to Burbank.

10/11/06 - In an unusual step for me, I have posted images from the 1984 "Burbank Champions of the Past" calendar to the History Page. (It's unusual because when I was in junior and senior high school I hated jocks. But having taken up rugby in my middle age I am now somewhat better disposed towards athletes and sports.)

10/4/06 - Posted Burbank Blvd. (before the overpass).

9/15/06 - Posted Lockheed Airport, 1930's, San Fernando Road, c. 1912, San Fernando Road, 1927, San Fernando Road, 1940's, Puzzling local politics image, Bored Young Men blocking San Fernando Road (for lack of a better title) and Olive Ave. and San Fernando Road, c. 1915-1920.

9/11/06 - Posted Don Ray's article about Genio's. Also posted Palm Avenue, 1950's, Burbank at Night, 1950's and San Fernando Road, 1959.

8/14/06 - Posted Vic Tayback, who was a student of Burbank High School (where Mike and I attended).

7/20/06 - Posted Lockheed during wartime and Pilot's eye view of the Lockheed Airport, 1929.

7/18/06 - Posted Lockheed Plant B-1 changes. Also posted Glenoaks and Cohasset, 1960's and Welcome to Burbank: San Fernando Road, 1950's.

7/17/06 - Posted Welcome to Burbank: Victory and Elm, Welcome to Burbank: Glenoaks and Alameda, Welcome to Burbank: Barham Blvd., Welcome to Burbank: Riverside Drive, Welcome to Burbank: Victory and Clybourne, Welcome to Burbank: Magnolia Blvd., 1968, Olive and Barham, 1960's.

7/14/06 - Posted 30 May 1944: Captain Mingay Day in Burbank to the existing Captain Henry Mingay page (scroll to bottom). Also posted Old Police and Fire Station and Golden Girl Jan Chronert to the Golden Mall page. (Sure, Mayor Compton is in the photo, too, but who's looking at him?)

7/13/06 - Posted "Beautiful Downtown Burbank" postcard #1, "Beautiful Downtown Burbank" postcard #2 and "Beautiful Downtown Burbank" postcard #3. Also posted Olive Rec Center stadium and diamond, Looking up Walnut, 1950, Burbank from the dump, 1949, Burbank from the dump, 1955, Olive Ave. at night, San Fernando Road and Alameda, 1950's and San Fernando Road and Alameda, 1960's. Finally, I address the phrase "Beautiful Downtown Burbank."

7/12/06 - Posted a major new collection of photos that ought to reawaken the dormant memory cells of Burbankers: The Burbank Golden Mall. Also posted the L-1011 Building and San Fernando Road, 1960's.

7/11/06 - Posted Olive Rec Center built, Olive Rec Center baseball stadium and Bonnywood and Magnolia.

7/10/06 - Posted Unimart, Western City Disposal Area and Jerry Colonna and some Burbank baseball players. I also restructed the front page into sub-pages, so it looks less junky.

7/7/06 - Posted The Dip, The back of The Dip, The Five Points, Olive Avenue Bridge being built and Olive Avenue Bridge complete.

6/29/06 - Posted Martinos - A Burbank Bakery Institution.

5/19/06 - Bob Meza explains the The 1968 Jet Crash in Burbank!

4/19/06 - Posted a link to The Battle of Burbank, 5 October 1945 (wikipedia entry).

4/10/06 - Posted a link to Ron Dickson's Aviation History of the San Fernando Valley.

4/3/06 - Posted some photos to the Henry Mingay article.

3/17/06 - Posted Sargents.

3/13/06 - About that 1968 airplane crash in Burbank, Internet correspondent William Stevens has found a page that lists aviation accidents which describes it thus: "09/13/1968 N HOLLYWOOD,CALIF N148E AERO COMDR 1121A FATAL (2)," so it may not be a Burbank thing despite the copy. I'll leave it up anyway - what the heck? Also posted A Tribute to Burbank's Small Grocery Stores.

3/9/06 - Posted two UPI Telephoto images of a 1968 airplane crash in Burbank. Do you remember it? I don't.

1/31/06 - Posted an image of Henry Mingay's marker to the Henry Mingay page.

1/26/06 - Posted some interesting new information to the Henry Mingay page.

12/13/05 - Posted Burbank High School Athletics Ninety Years Ago.

12/2/05 - Posted the Old Burbank Patch.

11/8/05 - Posted a link for The Road Kings of Burbank (est. 1952).

8/24/05 - Posted The Burbank Flag.

7/18/05 - Posted links to Rick Crescitelli's Burbank High and John Burroughs High in memoriam pages (on bottom of main page).

6/27/05 - Posted Monrovia Van de Kamp.

2/23/05 - Posted Burbankia Exclusive! Jay Leno driving a Stanley Steamer in Burbank!

2/9/05 - Finished adding all of the images to the A History of Burbank page. The next time I propose converting an entire book into HTML, somebody slap me upside the head.

2/8/05 - Added 38 more images to the A History of Burbank page. More to come. Also split it up into the three chapters for ease in downloading.

2/7/05 - Added 23 more images to the A History of Burbank page. More to come.

2/4/05 - Added 17 images to the A History of Burbank page. More to come.

11/16/04 - Added Larry Maxam: Burbank's Only Medal of Honor Recipient

8/27/04 - Added The U.S.S. Enterprise - Made in Burbank!

8/9/04 - Added two modern day images of the Jeffries Barn to the Jeffries Barn article.

7/6/04 - Added an image of a similar windmill restaurant to the The Van de Kamp's Windmill Restaurant image.

6/22/04 - Added 1960's Gelson's Ad - I went to Junior High with that little girl in the shopping cart!

6/18/04 - Added A Rare Visit Up the Tower of the Burbank City Hall - You haven't been here before.

6/16/04 - Added John Burroughs High Class of 1955 - just to show how commendably fair-minded a Burbank High graduate can be!

6/3/04 - Added The Mabel Monohan House today. Click here to see who Mabel Monohan was, if you don't know. Many years ago, when I was but a boy, one night as we were driving back home after dinner through the dark residential streets of Burbank my father mentioned that a famous murder had occurred in the town many years ago. One idle afternoon about twenty-five years later I recalled what Dad had told me and started an Internet search, which led to my learning about the 1953 Mabel Monohan murder - and the famous (but historically flawed) movie "I Want to Live!" starring Susan Hayward. Now you know about it!

5/11/04 - Added 1891 Farmhouse Demolition - Make way for yet another graceless condo.

4/22/04 - Added A Lockheed P-38 Returns to Burbank!

3/10/04 - Added Lockheed P-38 watches.

3/5/04 - Added Summer Concert at Stough Park, 1945.

3/4/04 - Added 1949: Snow in Burbank! and Burbank's Space Capsule of Love.

2/26/04 - Added The James M. Cain House.

1/23/04 - Added Mike McDaniel's article/letter The Myth of Neighborhood in the R4 Areas of Burbank.

1/9/04 - Added Grampa Dutch Cronkite's poem.

12/17/03 - Added plaque photos to the Jeffries Barn article and posted Turkey Crossing, 1942. (Thanks, Mike!) Also posted A History of Burbank, 1967.

12/16/03 - Added Turkey Crossing.

12/12/03 - Added an excerpt from a Burbank history to the The Jeffries Barn article, which indicates that Jeffries had an international trade!

12/10/03 - Posted Henry Mingay, Burbank's Celebrated Civil War Veteran.

12/5/03 - Put the website up on the Internet! The framework established, Mike McDaniel and I can now start developing material for it.