September 6: This Date in Los Angeles Transportation History

Written by Kenn Bicknell

1876: The planned Southern Pacific route from San Francisco to El Paso by-passes Los Angeles. Angelenos pay $600,000 to get Southern Pacific to include Los Angeles on the route.

1942: Fire completely destroys the Pacific Electric Railway station at Burbank, along with all of its contents. The station had not been occupied by Pacific Electric “for some time past.”

More information can be found in the October, 1942 issue of Pacific Electric Magazine.

1957: The first unit of the Golden State Freeway opens between the northeast corner of Griffith Park through Glendale to Ash Street in Burbank.

This 2.4-mile section eventually spans 72.7 miles in Caltrans District VII, from the junction with the Santa Ana and Santa Monica Freeways to the Kern County Line.