The Montrose Chamber of Commerce was incorporated as an organization on November 10, 1922.  Signers on the papers of organization were:  James L. Brown, T.O. Potts, C.L. Mead, Mark S. Collins, Earl A. Haskins, M.D., and Kemper and Bernice Turner.  The first president was James L. Brown.  The city of Montrose was rapidly growing following World War I with a lively two block business district on Honolulu Ave.  Then in 1925, Montrose's neighbor to the west, Verdugo City, came to be.  On April 9, 1926, The Ledger newspaper favored Montrose to be incorporated with the City of Glendale and that was endorsed by the Montrose Chamber of Commerce at its largest meeting.  Also endorsing incorporation were the Verdugo City Association of Commerce and the La Cresenta Chamber.  Since Verdugo City had always been an area included in the Montrose Chamber of Commerce, in the 1960s the name was added to make the official title, "Montrose-Verdugo City Chamber of Commerce".  It was this Chamber that through the years has sponsored Oktoberfest among many other community events.  The nearly 200 businesses located within the geographic boundaries of the shopping area assess themselves annually in order to promote the district with advertising, physical improvements, community service, public events and partnership with various community organizations.