From The Margins:

Glendale is becoming an interesting place. The opening of the Americana on Brand on Friday may usher in changes that could be more fundamental than superficial.

One of the trademarks of our city is homogeneity in our way of thinking. This may sound counterintuitive. After all, in the last decade, we’ve witnessed many issues that have come to divide residents. Yet, in the big picture, Glendale remains a conservative place with a population that is often resistant to change. This applies to all the segments of the community. The Americana may be the catalyst to change Glendale forever.

We’ve come a long way since 1884, when residents gathered to name the town “Glendale.” It wasn’t until 1904 when Glendale incorporated.

We’ve had our fair share of brushes with fame. Jack Northrop built his first aircraft factory here in Glendale in 1927. Pioneering aviator Laura Ingalls became the first woman to fly solo across the country and landed in Glendale in 1930. Glendale was also the landing point for the first transcontinental flight by African-American pilots Albert Forsythe and Charles Anderson in 1933.

The Bob’s Big Boy hamburger chain restaurant began in Glendale in 1936, and Baskin Robbins ice cream parlors also started in Adams Square in 1945.

Glendale was also the setting for several films, including Howard Hughes’ 1930 Hells Angels, Shirley Temple’s 1934 Bright Eyes and the musical Hollywood Hotel.

A different kind of fame has also been part of our history. It’s a chapter that we often choose to ignore. In 1964, Glendale was chosen to be the West Coast headquarters of the American Nazi Party. Not too many people know that its offices on Colorado Street remained open until the early 1980s.

I’ve been told by friends that I should always focus on the positive aspects of life. I try. But somehow forgetting the not-so-good does not feel just right yet. I hope it never does.

It was the completion of the Glendale (2) Freeway and Ventura (134) Freeway that gave a significant boost to the development of the city in 1970.

Much has changed in the last few decades. The city is experiencing yet another transformation due to the opening of the Americana at Brand.