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Founders
Warner Brothers
Bing Crosby
Home Postcard
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History of Toluca Lake
Early in 1923, the present Toluca Lake area was a
flourishing ranch, famous for its lush crops of peaches,
apples and walnuts and known as the Forman Toluca Ranch.
Its productive groves have long given way to beautiful
streets of fine homes and estates.
Toluca Lake, a community within two communities, North
Hollywood and Burbank, had its inception 76 years ago
through efforts of a syndicate of Hollywood financiers and
developers who named the development Toluca Lake Park. Due
to other promotional undertakings, the original subdividers
vacated their Toluca Lake Park tract office. M.A. “Andy”
Vargo (“Mr. Toluca Lake”), who had been a salesman with the
company, opened his own real estate office, and it was Vargo
who was largely responsible for the later development of the
community.
The area also is the setting for two picturesque lakes — the
original one on the North Hollywood side the other in
Burbank. Water originally came from springs from the
outcropping of the Valley’s water table. Today, water is
supplied from wells at the lake’s edges to maintain the lake
level. The entire lake bottom was surfaced with four inches
of asphalt concrete to stop water seepage.
The original boundaries of Toluca Lake were Cahuenga
Boulevard, Clybourn Avenue, Camarillo Street and the Los
Angeles River. Old timers zealously stick to these
boundaries, and, in 1939, they were so included in the
incorporation papers of the Toluca Lake Civic Association.
Since then, other adjacent streets and areas have been
included and are now associated with the Toluca Lake area.
The Lake is owned by home site owners surrounding its
shores. To help maintain and keep it clean, the Toluca Lake
Property Owners Association, a mutual non-profit
corporation, was organized in 1934 at the instigation of
Park French, a resident of Toluca Lake.
A residence on Toluca Lake is undoubtedly one of the most
tranquil and picturesque home sites in the entire greater
Los Angeles area. Well stocked with fish for angling
enthusiasts, the lake is also used for private recreational
boating and swimming. Hidden from public view by shore lined
homes and the sprawling Lakeside Golf Club, the lake covers
six acres, varying in width from 150 to 300 feet and in
depth from 18 inches to 10 feet.
While the major portion of the lake spans the rolling green
lawns of private residences, about one-third of the
southeast shore forms part of the boundary of the Lakeside
Golf Club.
The first home was built on Valley Spring Lane near the
Lakeside Clubhouse and was later to become the home of
Amelia Erhart, the famous aviatrix.
Among film stars who first came to make their homes in
Toluca Lake were Richard Arlen, W.C. Fields, Bob Hope, Ann
Blyth, Bing Crosby, Frank Sinatra, and Mary Astor. The next
generation were Zazu Pitts, Ruby Keeler, Wayne Morris, Frank
McHugh and Rudy Valle. Then came Gene Autry, Jimmy Brown,
Keeley Smith, Dana Andrews, William Holden, Jack Carson,
Dorothy Lamour, Doris Day, Red Foxx, Tennessee Ernie Ford,
Ozzie, Harriet, David and Ricky Nelson, Wendell Niles, Sr.,
Audie Murphy, Jim Nabors, Sandra Dee, Bobby Darin, David
Janssen and Tex Ritter. Then John Ritter, Joe Campanella,
Frankie Avalon, Fabian, Andy Griffith, Jonathan Winters,
Mala Powers, Ken Berry, Jackie Joseph, Goldie Hawn, Denver
Pyle, Garry Marshall, Paul Henning, Roger Perry and JoAnn
Worley, James Garner, Angela Cartwright, Clint Howard, Donny
and Marie Osmond, Robert Fuller, John Davidson, Linda
Henning, Henry Winkler, Ron Howard, Dudley Moore, Alan
Thicke, Swoosie Kurtz, Denzel Washington, Andy Garcia and
others.
From the first business building – then a plumbing shop –
the business community has grown into a row of fine shops,
restaurants, medical and business offices, and exclusive
specialty shops. This is Toluca Lake: a colorful community
of dignity, charm and hospitality.
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