Vickie Maris has been hounding me for my view of the early years. So here it is for what its worth. I don't claim to be a writer so feel free to take whatever needed out of the text.
Sincerely,

Lillian Arnold Burke

    The year was 1926 and the day was very hot on the last day of June. We drove thru a small desert community called Palmdale, 900 souls and proceeded onto what we thought was a larger town of Lancaster, 1500 souls. Neither town looked very habitable to my young eyes. I was all for leaving and going back to the beach town we came from. At least it wasn't so hot and dusty. But my husband was trying to recover from a bout with the flu so we thought we'd give it a try. So we found a small apt. now called the Thomas building and set up house keeping. Roy recovered sufficiently to get a job with the road dept. I thought he ought to collapse in that 100ø temperature but he recovered and felt fine so we lived on week after week. I've always said we didn't have any sense but to stay.

    Our first home was where the American Savings & Loan Bldg. stands now. This was a large pear orchard and our lot was cleared of trees to make room for the house. The Frahms, McBrides and Wiskersons were our neighbors. Uncle Dick Frahm was the guardian Uncle to all the kids running up and down the street. Genevieve was the Post Mistress and Viola her sister had the telephone office. Straud McBride was the local grocery store manager in what we call the Joshua Club. Frank and Clara Ikler had a dry goods store adjourning. Bill McAdam had the only real estate office in town. He lived with his family of five out in Pearland. They later built a lovely home on 12th and Palmdale Blvd.

    The town had 2 churches. The Community Presbyterian church and Catholic church. The Community had a bell to call worshippers to church on Sunday. Rev. J.C. Wilson drove his Ford to church with his wife and three children Craig, Bertha and another son. We didn't have a large congregation but it was a homey one, everybody knew everyone else. The ladies Guild put on dinners to keep the church going and the Evans brothers did many helpful things about the church. Bill McAdam was a lively and energetic person in the community and church and his lively family helped with with every phase of work in the church.

   You know, we had an earthquake in those early years, shook up the old school so they had to tear it down and start over where the present Maryott school is.

   We had a little bank in the town but they closed it during the depression so we went to Lancaster to do our banking.

    Seems like we went to Lancaster for everything those days. Our high school was there and the only moving picture theatre show was there also Penny's was there so it was a big thing to wind our way northwards on the treee studded road called Sierra Hwy. The trees were planted in honor of the veterans of the 1st World War. A water wagon went up and down filling the holes around the trees. I thought they looked very nice and friendly.

    Jobs were scarce in this little Community. Alfalfa hay seemed to be the main crop in agriculture. Of course, everyone had their little victory garden to help food supplies during the war and there was plenty of pears, peaches, plums etc. to get.

   Life moved along at quite an even keel. All the families increased including mine of four.

   Once in a while we would get down below for some super duper shopping and buy the children's school clothes. Can't say we had any very classy folks in town, just ordinary people and friendly people.

   Then the airplane plants started coming and sub-divisions began to be built. The fifties were upon us, people began noticing our valley and it hasn't been the same since. The sleepy little desert town is fast becoming a bustling metropolis.

By Lillian Birke

August 20, 1971

   To the best of our knowledge, this is the oldest bldg. in Lancaster. It is and has been the home of Myrtie Webber for many, many yes. Myrtie is now 94 years of age and was in the Christmas Parade, so you see, she is active.