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      Sun Valley Area Chamber of Commerce

Membership    Sun Valley Beautiful

WELCOME TO SUN VALLEY, CALIFORNIA

IN THE BEGINNING . . . In 1874 Senator Charles Maclay (for whom Maclay Street is named) acquired 56,000 acres of land across the San Fernando Valley. The area extended from Sunland Blvd., all the way west to the Chatsworth Hills. East of Sunland was Rancho Rafael, a large land grant to Jose Maria Verdugo by the Spanish Crown. By 1876 the Southern Pacific Railroad was constructed through the eastern San Fernando Valley, linking Southern and Northern California.

THEN WE GOT A NAME . . . By the late 1800's the area now known as Sun Valley was called "Roberts," for the Roberts' General Store which was the only business in town. At that time the area was classified as one of the five healthiest places in the United States to live (before smog) and with the increased accessibility of the railroad, parcels of land in the area were being sold off to families coming to the area. For the sake of perspective, the population of the City of Los Angeles was a little over 200,000. The land area of the city was still quite small; it wasn't until 1915 that portions of the valley were annexed to the city. The northeast valley areas began to be annexed to the city beginning in the mid 1920's, little by little, through the mid 1930's. The first Los Angeles City Chamber of Commerce was organized in 1888. The first Tournament of Roses Parade in Pasadena was held in 1890.

AND THEN ANOTHER NAME . . . In 1896 the name of the community was changed to "Roscoe. " (Presumably Roscoe Blvd. got its name because it went to Roscoe.) There is speculation that the name for the community came from a railroad employee by the name of Roscoe, who was killed in a train wreck during a train robbery near Sunland Blvd. and San Fernando Road. (Click on photo to enlarge) It has also been suggested that the name was for the famous actor, Roscoe "Fatty" Arbuckle, after he had made movies on location in the area.

THEN WE GREW . . . By 1905 there were seven families living in Roscoe. In (or around) 1915 the first gas pump on Route 99 (San Fernando Road/the main route between Glendale and Bakersfield) was installed at Sunland Blvd. and San Fernando Road by Alex Ratner. The Ratners were a new family in town and have remained active and supportive members of the community ever since. Ratner Street is named for this family. Adom Ratner-Stauber, involved in real estate development and property management in the area, is the great-grandson of Alex. The A. Louis Forsch family, relatives of Mrs. Alex Ratner, arrived soon after the Ratners and within a short time were the owners/operators of Roscoe Hardware; son Jack, and grandsons Gary and Glenn are still upholding the family tradition of running the store and being active in the community. (click on photo to enlarge)

ENTER: THE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE . . . In 1925 the first Chamber of Commerce in the area was formed -- The Roscoe Chamber of Commerce. A. Louis Forsch and Alex Ratner were charter members. Difficulties in the mid 1930's, including the great depression, caused the Chamber to close its doors; they remained closed through the war years until 1946. The Chamber returned with gusto, sponsoring parades, picnics and campaigns to beautify the community. The Chamber also led the efforts to change the name of the community and the last day of 1949 saw the demise of Roscoe and the birth of Sun Valley. In 1952 Mrs. Florence Shea became the President of the Sun Valley Chamber; she was the first woman to be president of a Chamber of Commerce in the United States.

TO THE PRESENT . . . The Sun Valley Area Chamber of Commerce has remained a strong, active community organization, supporting local businesses, working for good causes in the community, and often working hand-in-hand with government agencies to guide the growth and development of Sun Valley.

Executive Director: Jesse Dizon