There's a Sparr Boulevard in Glendale.

John Newcombe says, "William Sparr was one of the pioneers of fruit."

Filmmaker John Newcombe says Sparr grew lemons and other citrus all over Southern California in the early 1900s.

"As Los Angeles started to boom, he realized the land was a heck of a lot more valuable than the boxes of fruit he was selling, so he began dicing up the land."

Newcombe, maker of the documentary "Rancho La Canada: Then and Now," says Sparr opened up a huge real estate office in what is now north Glendale. He sold land and built the Oakmont Golf Course.

In 1922, Sparr donated a community building to the city of Glendale. At the time, it was the only building in the area. It was used for scout groups, birthday parties, and various meetings. Groups still use the building, with its mission-style facade, for similar events today.

(Airdate: 5/10/2009)