Verdugo Views: 100 years of Glendale Rose Parade floats

Shortly before New Year's Day 1921, the Glendale Evening News appealed for help from their readers. With the event just a couple of weeks away, the city's governing body, the Board of Trustees, decided there wasn't enough money in the city's advertising and promotion fund and they called on citizens to finance the float.

A committee, formed by the Greater Glendale Development Assn. and the Glendale Chamber of Commerce, took over planning the float, and the newspaper donated space to raise funds.

"If the people do not give liberally, the float will reflect that; it will be a cheap affair. It will look like a joke beside the magnificent floats entered by other communities," said the writer for the Independent on Dec. 13, 1920.

Money came flowing in and Glendale's 1921 float took home a first prize.

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Readers Write:

John Hamell lived on Sylvan Lane from 1946 to 1950. He recalled visiting with the neighbor next door who rented a room from Mrs. Chandler, "the owner of the very large property behind us. He used to come up to our back fence and talk to us. When we got older, our father told us that the man was Harrison Ford, an actor from silent films. My father and grandfather both worked at Paramount Studios, and I think Ford must have enjoyed talking about 'old Hollywood' with my father."

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If you have questions, comments or memories to share, please write to Verdugo Views, c/o News-Press, 221 N. Brand Blvd., 2nd Floor, Glendale, CA 91203. Please include your name, address and phone number.