Welcome to Burbankia!

This is a website about Burbank - "Beautiful Downtown Burbank" - California, the Media Center of the World. Here history, lore, images and personal stories are collected and stored for the enjoyment of current residents and expatriated Burbankers. Some of this information is fairly recent, some of it dates back to the late Nineteenth Century.

The important links are the ones at top; that's where you can find listings of all the content (and there's a lot on this site). The various links on this page are highlights - a starting point to whet your interest.

Some Book Length Histories

  • A History of Burbank - The school system's definitive, well-illustrated 1967 book.

  • Burbank Community Book - A highly readable 1944 effort, full of civic pride and anecdotes.

  • Rancho de Los Santos - From 1927, Burbank's earliest printed history book.

Places in Town

Some no longer exist!



More History

There are a number of accounts of Burbank City history available on this site; the three above are a good starting point. There is also a "Brief History" booklet produced in 1961, a 1954 booklet produced by the Magnolia Park Chamber of Commerce, Your Burbank Home from 1928, and a 1975 Burbank History in four parts. (One, two, three and four.)

Also recommended in terms of history is Mike McDaniel's Veterans Memorial Book and the 1950 Annual Report. There is also the City-produced video Burbank: Story of a City from 1952. It's dated in style, but entertaining nonetheless. (I love the smeary orchestral march which begins it.)

Finally, if you're a fan of the Lockheed Aircraft Corporation which used to exist here in town, you'll want to read Of Men and Stars, a very readable account of the company and their fabulous airplanes, published in 1957. It's on the History page.

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