[Congressional Record Volume 157, Number 77 (Wednesday, June 1, 2011)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1008]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                    A TRIBUTE TO THE CITY OF BURBANK

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. ADAM B. SCHIFF

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, June 1, 2011

  Mr. SCHIFF. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the City of Burbank 
upon its 100th anniversary.
  The land occupied by the present City of Burbank was part of two 
colossal Spanish land grants--the Rancho San Rafael and Rancho La 
Providencia. In 1867, Dr. David Burbank, who was extraordinarily active 
in Los Angeles real estate, purchased segments of both ranchos, and 
merged them to create a large ranch where he built a ranch house, 
raised sheep and sporadically sold off diminutive portions of land.
  In the late 1800s, Dr. Burbank sold a stretch of right-of-way to the 
Southern Pacific Railroad, and subsequently sold his property to a 
group of land speculators, which led to the establishment of the 
Providencia Land, Water and Development Company. As speculators 
designed a business district and subdivided the property into 
residential lots and small farms, the formation of the City of Burbank 
began.
  The City of Burbank flourished over the years, and its continuous 
progress has been extraordinary. In the 1920s, the real estate market 
boomed, the Magnolia Park sector was developed, and the area boasted a 
shopping center, a bank, and Burbank's very own radio station. 
Burbank's sought after location and available space also attracted the 
aviation and entertainment industries. In the mid-1920s, the Lockheed 
Aircraft Company purchased a portion of Burbank farmland, and built a 
plant for the production of its planes. Lockheed employed 94,000 
individuals by the time the United States entered World War II. As a 
testament to their success, Lockheed's Burbank-built aircraft helped 
win the Battle of Britain. Additionally, the motion picture business 
moved to Burbank in the 1920s. A 78-acre site was originally home to 
First National Pictures, and later to the Warner Bros. Following its 
footsteps were Columbia Pictures and the Walt Disney Company.
  The year of 1943 marked the opening of the new Burbank City Hall, 
which has been named to the National Register of Historic Buildings. In 
the 1960s and 1970s, Burbank attracted more key players of the 
Hollywood entertainment industry. By 1962, Burbank became the permanent 
home of the National Broadcasting Company. In 1978, the airport was 
purchased from Lockheed, and today, the Bob Hope Airport, governed by 
the Burbank-Glendale-Pasadena Airport Authority, is the largest 
privately owned community airport in the country. The 1980s highlighted 
the revitalization and evolution of Burbank's downtown area, with its 
collection of numerous restaurants and multi-screen movie theatres. In 
the 1990s, the Burbank Recycle Center and the Regional Intermodal 
Transportation Center were opened.
  I am honored to represent the great City of Burbank, which is 
thriving with multi-dimensional industries, and yet has not lost its 
small-town atmosphere. I ask all Members to join me in congratulating 
the residents of Burbank on its centennial anniversary.

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