Walter Bennett Davis (1879-1943) named this street for himself in 1925. Davis was born in Nebraska but raised in Morrison, IL, where his family was big in greenhouses. He married Mildred Frazier (1877-1965) in February 1907 and they had their only child Walter Kenneth Davis that October. The trio spent years in Aurora, IL, where Walter Sr. became renowned as a cucumber grower and distributor, then brought their gherkins and greenhouses to Glendale c. 1921. It wasn’t long before Walter Sr. added “subdivider” to his resume: not long after opening his own tract, he set up the Pelanconi tract next door. In 1930, he built a strip mall at Davis Avenue and San Fernando Road. Dubbed “Aurora Market” after the Davises’ previous residence, the building – now nameless – still stands. Walter B. Davis was active in local infrastructure matters, even advocating for an airport at Griffith Park.
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