FLETCHER & RIVERSIDE TO SILVERLAKE BOULEVARD TO VIRGIL AVENUE

1950s, View looking northwest down toward the intersection of Fletcher and Riverside drives as seen from a Glendale Red Car on top of the Fletcher Viaduct.  Currie’s Ice Cream store sign is visible on the left and the I-5 (Golden State Freeway) is at the excavation stage.  The chapel at Forest Lawn can be seen in the distance (upper-right).  Richfield Gas Station is the foreground.  Click HERE to see more Early LA Gas Stations.

One of the things that I used to do a lot of was drive my dad to wherever he needed or wanted to go.  I drove him over to Marilyn and Frank’s place in Glendale.  I drove him out to Charlen and John’s place in Van Nuys.  I drove him to Dan and Esther’s place on Virgil in Silver Lake.  I drove him out to Sally and Luis’s place in Cucamonga BEFORE the 210 Freeway was completed out to Interstate 15.  I drove him out to Chuck and Sally Pullman’s in the early days after I’d just turned 16 and was old enough to drive solo.  I loved that drive to Glendora.  

1927, Silver Lake Boulevard, 1927.  It was beautiful even back then.  

To get to Dan's place at 170 S. Virgil in Silverlake from Duarte, Dad preferred to take the 210 Foothill Freeway west through Arcadia, past Pasadena, through the San Rafael area to the 2 Glendale Freeway south to the Fletcher off-ramp.  From the freeway, we'd turn left onto Fletcher over the Los Angeles River, under the Golden State Freeway (5), and past Riverside Drive before turning left onto Glendale Boulevard for about half a mile before turning right onto Silverlake Boulevard.  

Driving along Silver Lake Boulevard in the evening was always one of the highlights of driving home from Dan's.  You'd see the lights of the houses on the rim reflect on the water.  The drive always consisted of driving in Dad's 1976 green 4-door Datsun B210.  He loved that car.  

1956, View of Silver Lake Reservoir, looking north toward the mountains, 1956.  

1930, SILVER LAKE RESERVOIR.

The reservoir is an earthfill dam, asphalt concrete, with paved slopes.   In 1989, it was designated LA Historic-Cultural Monument No. 422.  Silver Lake Reservoir was named for Herman Silver, first president of the Board of Commissioners, Domestic Water Works System.  He served from 1902-1903.  It was put into service in May 1908.

1936, Traffic on the corner of Fletcher Drive and San Fernando Rd, Atwater Village, Los Angeles. 

Atwater Village in 1936 was a relatively new suburban enclave, and the intersection of Fletcher Drive and San Fernando Road represented a gateway between the growing suburbs and the bustling city center. The neighborhood, known for its charming homes and small businesses, was becoming an increasingly popular place for families looking for a quieter, more affordable lifestyle away from downtown. Traffic at this intersection reflected the early stages of suburban expansion, with more residents relying on cars to commute to work in the city. The cars on the road in 1936 were a mix of older, pre-Depression models and newer vehicles as the economy began to recover. Atwater Village, with its blend of urban and suburban characteristics, captured the essence of Los Angeles’ rapid growth during the 1930s, as new infrastructure and development reshaped the landscape.