਀㰀䈀伀䐀夀 吀䔀堀吀㴀∀⌀　　　　　　∀ 䰀䤀一䬀㴀∀⌀㘀　　　挀　∀ 嘀䰀䤀一䬀㴀∀⌀　　　　㠀　∀ 䄀䰀䤀一䬀㴀∀⌀　　㠀　㠀　∀ 䈀䜀䌀伀䰀伀刀㴀∀⌀昀昀昀昀昀昀∀㸀 ਀㰀挀攀渀琀攀爀㸀㰀椀洀最 猀爀挀㴀戀甀爀戀愀渀欀开氀愀开挀漀渀猀漀氀椀搀愀琀椀漀渀开猀洀愀氀氀⸀樀瀀最㸀㰀⼀挀攀渀琀攀爀㸀

਀㰀挀攀渀琀攀爀㸀㰀栀㄀㸀䌀漀渀猀漀氀椀搀愀琀椀漀渀 䨀漀攀㰀⼀栀㄀㸀㰀⼀昀漀渀琀㸀㰀⼀挀攀渀琀攀爀㸀

by Wes Clark

਀㰀倀㸀
਀㰀瀀㸀 ਀㰀䈀㸀 In 2011 Burbank, California will celebrate the 100th anniversary of its incorporation of a city. But if it were up to one prominent and energetic early Burbanker, that action would have been reversed and the city would have been annexed to Los Angeles. ਀㰀瀀㸀 Joseph Wesley (J.W.) Fawkes - known primarily for his monorail the "aerial swallow" - and his family were no strangers to publicity. One of his strongly held beliefs was that Burbank should be annexed to Los Angeles; he gives his reasons below in one of the excepts I have included below from the Los Angeles Times. He campaigned for annexation during the early half of the 1920's; I believe that is Fawkes himself in the photo above, waving the flag (note his name under the "office" sign). ਀㰀瀀㸀 His effort to annex Burbank to Los Angeles failed in a vote, however, and a gleeful mob of Burbank hooligans celebrated by holding a bonfire on San Fernando Road and burning "Consolidation Joe" in effigy. A couple of teenagers made the mistake of throwing flares onto Fawkes' lawn and received some shotgun pellets in return. Was it Fawkes' finger on the trigger? No one knows for sure.਀㰀瀀㸀 Was Fawkes right? Would Burbank have fared better annexed as a part of Los Angeles? Looking at the city now, it's hard to believe that this would have been the case. Only the most most jaded cynic would claim that the City of Burbank is a failure. And the San Fernando Valley Secession movement suggests that the citizens of Burbank made the right decision to remain incorporated as a city apart from Los Angeles. ਀㰀瀀㸀 Were he able to look around at things today, perhaps even Consolidation Joe might agree. ਀㰀瀀㸀 ਀㰀⼀䈀㸀

਀㰀栀爀㸀

਀

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਀㰀挀攀渀琀攀爀㸀㰀椀洀最 猀爀挀㴀琀甀爀欀攀礀开㄀　开㌀开㄀㤀㈀㈀⸀樀瀀最㸀㰀⼀挀攀渀琀攀爀㸀 ਀㰀瀀㸀 Below: From 29 May 1922. In this letter to the editor of the Los Angeles Times, Fawkes cites his reasons why annexation makes sense. ਀㰀倀㸀 ਀ ਀ ਀ ਀㰀瀀㸀 Below: From 4 August 1924. Two years later and Fawkes is still on the trail.਀㰀倀㸀 ਀㰀瀀㸀 Below: From 25 September 1924. Fawkes winds up in court on a charge of desecrating the flag. Could this have anything to do with his flag-bedecked outdoor stand, pictured above? ਀㰀倀㸀 ਀㰀瀀㸀 Below: From 19 June 1925. The time for a vote on the weighty issue arrives, and Burbank is at a fever pitch. Fawkes is called the father of the annexation movement.਀㰀倀㸀 ਀㰀瀀㸀 Below: From 3 July 1925. The people have spoken and the annexation movement fails. Burbank remains an incorporated city. Fawkes is burned in effigy on San Fernando Road and a pair of incautious teens find that tossing flares on Fawkes' property results in being peppered with shotgun pellets.਀㰀倀㸀 ਀㰀瀀㸀

਀㰀⼀䘀伀一吀㸀

਀㰀栀爀㸀

਀㰀愀 栀爀攀昀㴀椀渀搀攀砀⸀栀琀洀氀㸀刀攀琀甀爀渀 琀漀 䈀甀爀戀愀渀欀椀愀㰀⼀愀㸀 ਀㰀⼀栀琀洀氀㸀 ਀