Montrose Promotional Piece – 1925

Montrose started out with a bang in 1914 with a big free barbeque. Lots were sold, but the sales didn’t really take off. War in Europe was threatening economic stability so Montrose growth didn’t really accelerate until the war ended. The early ’20s brought phenomenal growth to Montrose, particularly in the 2200 block of Honolulu Avenue that constituted the business section. By 1925 retail storefronts and offices lined that one block of Honolulu. (As an aside, most of those buildings are still with us today, nearly a century old!)

In 1925 the Montrose Chamber of Commerce put out a full-page promotional piece in the Glendale newspapers featuring flowery words and ads from Montrose businesses. Here are some of the highlights:

The promotional piece opens with this long sentence: “Montrose, ‘the gem of the green Verdugo Hills,’ a beautiful little crescent city, nestled in the famed Verdugo hills, is built on a gentle slope high above the fog, between the Verdugo and Sierra Madre ranges, easily accessible by auto, electric car or bus from Los Angeles or Glendale, through the picturesque Verdugo Canyon.”

There are several items to unpack from the above sentence. The reference to “green Verdugo hills” is taken from a popular LA Times column called “As Seen From the Green Verdugo Hills.” It was written by Tujunga resident John Steven McGroarty and the column ran for 40 years.

“Little crescent city” of course refers not to the shape of Montrose but to its location in the Crescenta Valley.

“Above the fog” would have been critical to the flood of health-seekers moving to Montrose. Dry clean air was the only cure for lung ailments such as tuberculosis and asthma and many moved here just for the air.

Regarding the line about “easily accessible by auto, electric car or bus,” the electric car is actually an electrified trolley – the Glendale & Montrose Railway. It ran regular streetcar service from Montrose down to Glendale and then on to the border of LA where it connected with the Red Car trolley. Very convenient.

The promotional piece then goes on to brag about the abundance of water and the land’s excellent drainage. Both of these didn’t stand the test of time. By 1948 the valley had run dry of local water sources and the drainage turned out to be intermittent flash flooding, punctuated by our famous 1934 New Year’s flood.

Other aspects of the piece were true though: “The soil is rich decomposed granite, especially noted for its fruit growing qualities. Wide streets curving with the natural contour of the ground give Montrose the practical value of level business frontage, combined with the aesthetic value of sloping and rolling residence sites.”

The promotion highlights the businesses of Montrose: “Business houses include a bank, stores with full lines of merchandise, and a new $50,000 theater … A hotel, restaurants, six filling stations, and Studebaker, Chevrolet and Star car agencies do a thriving business.”

The piece finishes with the usual real estate hurry-up come-on: “Property values are constantly increasing and this is a fertile field for the investor. Lots that sold for $400 two years ago are now selling for $1500 and more.”

The promotional ad wraps with a nice sum-up for Montrose: “Montrose the beautiful. Pure mountain water, above the fog, ten minutes from Glendale, forty minutes from Los Angeles.”

The piece is surrounded with ads from local businesses. “Edding Electric Store – We give light on all lines with fixtures to please.” “Silver’s store for men – The home of real value.” “Modern Barber Shop – Baths, manicuring, marcelling, best work.” (Marcelling is the curling of women’s bob-cut hairstyles, popular in the 1920s.) “Maxwell Service Station, Broadview and Ocean View – Free to each customer – Box of Dust-O, the cloth that cleans.”

But one ad stands out as a real gem of clever advertising: “Montrose Market – Groceries, vegetables, fountain – Money is the root of all evil. Exchange it for something to eat.”