Crescenta Valley Timeline – 1920 to 1978

Here’s a continuation of an overview of the development of the Crescenta Valley.

1920 – Southern California Gas connects to valley.

1920 – First formal fire protection provided by County.

1922 – The Ledger newspaper begins – the first local newspaper.

1922 – Montrose Elementary School is built.

1922 – Sparr’s orchards developed into Sparr Heights.

1923 – Rockhaven Sanitarium established.

1923 – Montrose Post Office established.

1923 – Lincoln Elementary School is built.

1924 – Highway Highlands Post Office established.

1924 – St. Luke’s Episcopal Church is built.

1924 – American Legion Post 288 is established.

1925 – Glendale considers annexing portions of the valley.

1925 – La Crescenta Chamber of Commerce established.

1925 – Verdugo City established.

1925 – Southern California Telephone Company local service established.

1926 – Incorporation of Crescenta Cañada Valley promoted, but the effort fails.

1926 – Verdugo Woodlands Elementary School built.

1926 – Fremont Elementary School built.

1927 – First attempts at flood control.

1927 – Glendale College founded.

1927 – Holy Redeemer Church dedicated.

1927 – Wildfire burns the west side of the valley, going over the Verdugo Mountains to Burbank.

1928 – Montrose Sheriff Station established.

1930 – Glendale and Montrose Railway goes out of business and busses replace electric streetcars.

1930 – Angeles Crest Highway started.

1931 – Crescenta School District joins Glendale School District.

1931 – Sacred Heart Academy opens at former Flintridge Biltmore Hotel.

1932 – Clark Junior High School is built. That’s today’s Crescenta Valley High School.

1933 – Fire burns the front range of the San Gabriel Mountains above the valley.

1934 – New Year’s Flood sweeps the valley.

1936-1938 – Debris basins and flood control channels built.

1936 – First rocket experiments at the site of today’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory.

1946 – St. Francis High School founded.

1948 – Foothill Freeway (210) adopted as part of state master plan.

1948 – Monte Vista Elementary School is built.

1949 – Freak snowstorm.

1949 – Dunsmore Elementary School built.

1952 – Montrose and large portions of the Crescenta Valley annexed to Glendale.

1953 – Descanso Gardens opens.

1956 – Angeles Crest Highway completed.

1958 – Valley View Elementary School built.

1960 – Lowell Avenue Elementary School built.

1960 – La Cañada Unified School District formed.

1961 – Crescenta Valley High School established on the site of the former Clark Junior High School.

1961 – Clark Junior High built at a new location.

1961 – Rosemont Junior High School built.

1964 – Cityhood voted down in La Crescenta.

1964 – Cityhood voted down in La Cañada.

1964 – Major fire in the Verdugo Mountains.

1964 – La Crescenta Shopping Center opens on the site of the old Kimball Sanitarium.

1966 – Plans approved for the Foothill Freeway (210).

1967 – Mountain Avenue Elementary School is built.

1971 – Sylmar Earthquake happens.

1972 – New sheriff station built on Briggs Avenue.

1972 – Verdugo Hills Hospital opens.

1972 – First section of the 210 Freeway in the valley opens from Ocean View to Lowell.

1975 – The Mill Fire burns the San Gabriels and several homes in the valley.

1976 – City of La Cañada Flintridge is established.

1978 – 2 Freeway opens.