Burbank
Area of Santa Clara County
Source: Burbank Historic Home Survey, Santa Clara
County, District 4: Project Report, February,
1993.
Named after Luther
Burbank, a famous American horticulturalist,
the Burbank area of Santa Clara County is an area
rich with agricultural history and architecture.
The Burbank land use area consists of 220+ acres
that was purchased by Elisha Lafayette Bradley
from Henry Morris Naglee in 1873. Bradley began
to plant fruit trees such as prune, plum, apricot,
peach, pear and cherries—proving to be a
gold mine in later years. In 1904, just after
the San Jose-Los Gatos Interurban railroad that
ran along Stevens Creek Road, now West San Carlos,
was completed, developers laid plans for the first
residential tracts. They were called Interurban
Park on the north side of Stevens Creek Road and
Rose Lawn Park on the south side. Lots sold for
$100 - $275 each, with the last lots being sold
in 1921. Later, the area was further subdivided
into other tracts.
A good many families moved to the Burbank because
they did not want to live in the City limits —
many making a transition from farm life. There
were farm animals in the Burbank up until the
forties.
After buying property, building their homes,
and planting their crops, one of the first things
that the earliest residents of the Santa Clara
Valley were concerned about was the education
of their children. In less than two years after
buying property in the new subdivision, Burbank
homeowners decided to establish a school. Most
of the residents were involved in agriculture
and named the school after Luther Burbank with
whom they held in high esteem. When the district
was established in 1906, the name for the school
“Luther Burbank School” was adopted.
The school was also a neighbor to the Garden
City Velodrome that was located on the corner
of Wabash and Olive Avenues — so close,
that when students could not pay for a ticket,
they would jump the fence to get in. Fashioned
after the Madison Square Garden Velodrome in New
York City, it cost $10,046.00 to build, was three
acres, and received active participation from
the Garden
City Wheelman and the Gatto Cycle Clubs.
Popular usage soon claimed the Burbank name as
the preferred name of the area encompassed by
the school district. That is how the name “Burbank”
happened to stick for this section of the Santa
Clara Valley, even though it was never incorporated
as a town.
As the Burbank became more densely populated, it
became necessary to form the Burbank
Volunteer Fire Department (BVFD) in 1925 with
several charter members.
In the first few years, Frank Dober, who owned
a variety store on West San Carlos, answered emergency
calls on his business telephone. Then he would
activate a siren that was on a pole in the back
of the store that many of the neighbors could
hear when sounded! In 1948 the BVFD opened a new
firehouse on Wabash behind the Burbank School.
By that time it owned two pumpers and a squad
truck, and had 35 members. In 1970 after providing
excellent emergency services for 45 years, the
BVFD was merged with the Santa Clara County Central
Fire Protection District.
Today, the Burbank area is a mix of business
and residential districts. Businesses are located
along West San Carlos Street, Bascom Avenue, Race
Street, and Meridian Avenue.
The
historic Burbank
Theatre is an area icon and currently the
home of a radio station, and also is representative
of the architectural significance of the Victorian,
Bungalow, Deco and Craftsman style homes. With
over 35 recorded significantly historical homes,
many residents are restoring these small but quaint
homes, making the area much more desirable —
and one of the only affordable areas left in Santa
Clara County to live.
The area is also a center for antique stores
and is centrally located to Santana Row, Valley
Fair mall, and also the downtown area. It’s
definitely an area in transition, very charming,
and one not to be missed.
To learn more about San Jose's History (including present-day historical events) see the History San jose website.
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