EARLY 1911 PHOTOS OF VAN NUYS PRINTED IN 1960

BUILDING A GREAT MUSEUM FOR THE SAN FERNANDO VALLEY

Recently, Gary Fredburg (bless his heart) donated a "Winter 1960 Pionee"r booklet pritned by Valley Federal Savings.  It contains some great photographs of the founding and early photos of Van Nuys. Ihope you enjoy them. 

 The first street car arrives in Van Nuys. It was cause for a large barbecue celebration. 

(click on the images to enlarge them)

December 16, 1911 - First street car arrives in Van Nuys from Los Angeles

Building materials arrive for the building of Van Nuys in 1911

First newspaper and printing shop in Van Nuys 1911

 Van Nuys Boulevard (then Sherman Way 1911) looking north. Note the rose bushes and palms.

D.W. Whitsett sold houses and lots from his Tract Office in Van Nuys. It was on Van Nuys Boulevard and Sylvan Street.

 

Railway carriage used to bring prospective buyers to Van Nuys in 1911

AMERICA'S FIRST MONORAIL WAS IN BURBANK

BUILDING A GREAT MUSEUM FOR THE SAN FERNANDO VALLEY

FAWKES FOLLY

America's First Great Monorail Experiment

In 1911, Joseph Fawkes who lived on West Olive Street in Burbank, launched the first monorail experiment in United States history. Fawkes, a wealthy farmer in the Valley, convinced some that his new machine would whisk passengers from Burbank to downtown Los Angeles in just over 10 minutes. To the everlasting delight of nay-sayers, the Aerial Swallow as Fawkes called it, collapsed and set back monorail exploration for years.

VALHALLA CEMETERY FROM SCAM TO THE SACRED

CHERISHING OUR VALLEY               2013

 Little Country Chapel - Valhalla Cemetery - Victory at Cahuenga

Vintage postcard - Gift to The Museum of the San Fernando Valley from Gary Fredburg 2013

The creators of Valhalla cemetery on the border of North Hollywood and Burbank, were actually scam artists who high pressured people into buying their burial plots, then resold them over and over. Eventually, the con men were eventually sent to jail and the property was sold to the Pierce Brothers Mortuary chain. Today the site is operated by a reputable company and is the burial site for many important San Fernando Valley people, among whom are many celebrities. 

Many important leaders in early American aviation are buried in Valhalla, most near the shrine of the Portal of Folded Wings.  Among these are James Floyd and Hilder Florenina Smith. Jim Smith (1884 to 1956) constructed his own aircraft in 1912. He developed a hand-operated parachute for the U.S. Army during the First World War.  Hilder, his wife (1890 to 1977) was a very early parachute jumper in 1914. She was the first woman to fly out of what was to be Los Angeles International Airport.

Siblings Matilde and John Moisant are also buried in Valhalla. Matilde became the second woman in America to earn a pilot's license in 1911. John Moisant designed, built and flew the first metal airplane.

Augustus Roy Knabenshue (1876–1960) was the first dirigible pilot in the United States. Knabenshue established the first commercial dirigible service from Los Angeles to Pasadena in 1912. Before the Pasadena Freeway was built just before World War II, getting from downtown's Union Station to Pasadena was no easy trip.

FOUNDING IMAGES OF VAN NUYS

CHERISHING OUR VALLEY                          2013

Celebrating the arrival of the cherished "Red Car" of the Pacific Electric Railroad.  (click on images to enlarge them.) The first decade of the city of Van Nuys. Join Richard Hilton for his special Museum walking tour.

Van Nuys in 1911 - looking south on what is now Van Nuys Boulevard at Sylvan Street. Though there were few is any trees, the street was called Sylvan in the anticipation of an urban forest here in the future. Watch The Museum's website and this blog for the times for our next Van Nuys walking tour.

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THE SAN FERNANDO VALLEY IS..........

DISCOVERING OUR VALLEY    2011

Here's a comment made by a passing high school student at The Museum's table celebrating the 100th birthday of Van Nuys. We agree!

AN OCCIDENTAL COLLEGE - SAN FERNANDO HIGH SCHOOL MYSTERY - 100 YEARS OLD

DISCOVERING OUR VALLEY         2011                100th Anniversary of San Fernando

On the lookout for artifacts and photos to use in The Museum of the San Fernando Valley's tribute to the City of San Fernando, Gary Fredburg discovered this 100 year old letter. Naturally, it has a mystery attached. 

 Letter mailed from San Fernando Union High School, in the City of San Fernando, California, October 26, 1911. To Doctor Isabel Crowell, Alhambra, California. (click on image to enlarge)

 Internal message reads:

QUESTIONS FOR THE ALUMNI COUNCIL
a.  Shall crec  (This may have been a false start of the list)
a.  Shall credit be given toward graduation?
b.  Shall participation in athletic practice be deemed an equivalent for classroom gymnasium work?
c.  Shall it be required at all?
d.  What practical benefit did you receive from your physical training while a student?
e.  Which is of the greater benefit to student and college, athletics or physical training and gymnasium?

HOW TO REACH SECONDARY SCHOOLS.

Will you as a Council submit for my consideration suggestions as how best to reach students in the high schools in the interest of Occidental College?

The above was affixed by a straight pin to the internal message.

Graduate Council   Nov. 4, 1911    7:30 pm
724 Amercian Bk Bldg
Important Business !
M. Messkants, Secy.

Jerry's note:  I think someone at San Fernando High School was an alumna of Occidental College. She or he is responding possbily to a meeting notification.
Let's see what the research Librarian at Oxy has to say about this mystery.  Occidental Glorious!

H. J. WHITLEY FOUNDED BOTH HOLLYWOOD AND VAN NUYS

DISCOVERING OUR VALLEY      2011

The sheriff of Hollywood, California, once put saw horse barriers across Cahuenga Road to keep rowdy San Fernando Valley cowboys from coming into his sleepy little town on Saturday nights. The Cahuenga Pass is still a pretty rowdy place, but a long way from troubles caused by cowboys.
Today, I had the real pleasure of meeting Gaelyn Whitley Keith, great grand daughter of H. J. Whitley, the founding father of both the cities of Hollywood and Van Nuys in the heart of the San Fernando Valley. It was great fun meeting a member of the famous Whitley clan, especially on the 100th Anniversary of the founding of Van Nuys. (If for no other reason than the establishment of two such important communities, we feel that H.J. Whitney deserves to be recognized in the California Museum in Sacramento.)

Gift to the Library of The Museum of the San Fernando Valley from Gaelyn Whjitley Keith February 26th, 2011.  (click on image to enlarge).

SALUTE TO LOS ANGELES AT 203 YEARS CONTINUES

DISCOVERING OUR VALLEY IN 2011

To get the New Year off to a good start, here's a continuation of The Museum of the San Fernando Valley's salute to the 230th birthday of Los Angeles. Museum Board Member, Leanne Schirmer is organizing The Museum's participation in the City's anniversary. The following are images 207-204 as part of our tribute.

 A very early image of the University of Southern California - historic postcard - Gift to the Archive of The Museum of the San Fernando Valley from Gary Fredburg - 2010

                

One of my favorite places in the city is the Edward L. Doheny Memorial Library at the University of Southern California. Looking directly up to the center of the English inspired ceiling, a visitor is treated to stained glass windows depicting the major universities and colleges of the United States and Europe.
-  Gift to the Archive of The Museum of the San Fernando Valley from Gerald Fecht - 2010
                 

 West Adams Street - Los Angeles, California

This beautiful postcard celebrates its 100th year in 2011. It is a gift to the Archives of The Museum of the San Fernando Valley from Gary Fredburg.  (click on images to enlarge)
The postcard was mailed on December 29, 1911 to Mr. Lafe Chesnut in La Salle, Colorado.
"I wish you could have been with me on my trip. I traveled over eight hundred miles and saw so much I couldn't tell you what I have seen. I wish you a Happy New Year." Ana.

Unknown and undated academic group at the University of Southern California. Gift to the Archives of The Museum of The Southern California from Gary Fredburg - 2010.

MEGA-STAR ROBERT TAYLOR WAS NORTHRIDGE RESIDENT

2010 THE YEAR OF VALLEY ADVENTURES Northridge100
Robert Taylor Photograph - Archives of The Museum of the San Fernando Valley 2010


Robert Taylor was born Spangler Arlington Brugh in 1911. He came to California with his college teacher to Pomona College in the 1930s. Athletic and handsome, he ran track, played the cello and was an excellent actor. He was discovered at Pomona by a MGM talent scout and had a most successful film career going from 1934 well into the late 50s. Taylor married the great actress Barbara Stanwyk in 1939.
It is unsure how long Robert Taylor lived in the manor house on Oakridge Estate, but he remained married to Stanwyk until 1951.

A GREAT AUCTION IN THE SAN FERNANDO VALLEY

2009 - The Year of Valley History
Likely the auction of livestock from the Van Nuys and Lankershim Ranches in 1911 - Photo gift from David High - July 2009 Refer to photograph HC-27
Richard Hilton, Director of Tour Operations for The Museum of the San Fernando Valley comments:
" I am suspecting it is February 22, 1911, auction day in Van Nuys. It would be looking South from what is today Van Nuys Blvd. with the Santa Monica Mountains in the background. The train would be the Southern Pacific on the tracks just north of Oxnard Street. I have never seen this photo before. It's great! What a great find these shots are."
Note: Mr. Hilton is planning a special walking tour of downtown Van Nuys this fall.

More from Richard Hilton
Okay, now I am thinking that this was the Lankershim/Van Nuys auction of ALL their farm equipment, livestock, etc. of the several different ranches held by the Los Angeles Suburban Homes Co. It was held November 4, 1910 and was a huge event; over 2,000 people there. The Times reports 7 special RR cars packed to the gills and a 100 cars there. It was held at the Kester Ranch just South of the Southern Pacific tracks at Oxnard and Van Nuys Blvd. Another was auction was going to be held later at the Patton Ranch which is just Northwest of Rancho Los Encinos. So... I think now that this is that auction, especially if it said "auction" on the photo. I think this is looking north as the RR tracks are in the background and the cars would be parked south of the tracks because that is where the Kester Ranch was.
Richard


We are checking with Bill Carpenter of the historical museum at LA Valley college to see if this photograph, from the High Collection, matches similar images in the college's collection.

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WIDENING CAHUENGA PASS IN 1911

2009 The Year of Valley History

Widening Cahuenga Pass – 1911 (photograph) Gift to The Museum of the San Fernando Valley from David High - July 2009 (click on image to enlarge)

The original historic image of the widening of Cahuenga Pass taken in 1911 is very dark. When processed the workers and machinery were clarified considerably.
Refer to photograph HC-13 artifact number: 0709-050-960

The San Fernando Valley, in the heart of the Creative Capital of the World, deserves a great Museum of history and culture.
Interested in transportation history. Come join your Museum Community and help us build our transportation collection. Call 1 (818) 347-9665 today.

HENRY E. HUNTINGTON BROUGHT TROLLEY TRANSPORTATION TO THE SAN FERNANDO VALLEY

Henry E. Huntington - Gift of Gary Fredburg 2008 - Archives of The Museum of the San Fernando Valley (click on image to enlarge)

Henry E. Huntington began the Pacific Electric Railway in 1902. Huntington's fabulous art collection, gardens and financial endowment gave the Huntington Library and art galleries to Southern California.

Cahuenga Pass in 1911 - Gift of Gary Fredburg 2008 - Archives of The Museum of the San Fernando Valley (click on image to enlarge)

In 1911, the Pacific Electric Railway (the famous "Red Cars of Los Angeles") was sold to the Southern Pacific Railroad. In the above image, the Red Car system is seen expanding into the San Fernando Valley from Hollywood.

Your Museum collects and preserves artifacts and information about California transportation. The San Fernando Valley, in the heart of the Creative Capital of the World, deserves a great Museum of history and culture.