Author, Minister, and well known figure in early Los Angeles.A Civil War veteran who arrived in Southern California in 1899, Dr. Burdette married Clara Baker
Wheeler, a widow who had inherited a Pasadena mansion. In the same year, Burdette was recruited to become the pastor of the Pasadena Presbyterian Church, despite the fact that he was as a Baptist. In 1906, upon his return from a trip to Europe, Reverend Burdette acceded to demands from many to head a new church, and Temple Baptist Church of Los Angeles was born. He held the post until 1909, when
his health began to deteriorate, Even after his retirement from the pulpit, Burdette was called upon to repeatedly to speak and preach For many years, Burdette wrote a regular column for the Times. Dr. Burdette was a man of small physical stature whose words and manner would indicate otherwise. As the "war to end all wars" was about to rage in Europe, the Burdettes enjoyed the tranquility of
Redondo Beach. In July of 1913,he wrote: "The gulls have been unusually numerous all day, and the fishing has been fine for men and birds. Little steam and gasoline launches and fleets of row boats have dotted the blue sea, and many have been the broken circles of water which drew the screaming birds by scores and attracted the boats as well. All this told of a general banquet for everybody save the guests of honor, for the big fish were feeding on the little fish below, driving them to the surface for the gulls, who passed what they could not catch back to the big fish, and the fishermen came with nets and lines that gathered everything but the gulls, so everybody was happy
but the little fish, as usual"

Author, Minister, and well known figure in early Los Angeles.A Civil War veteran who arrived in Southern California in 1899, Dr. Burdette married Clara Baker
Wheeler, a widow who had inherited a Pasadena mansion. In the same year, Burdette was recruited to become the pastor of the Pasadena Presbyterian Church, despite the fact that he was as a Baptist. In 1906, upon his return from a trip to Europe, Reverend Burdette acceded to demands from many to head a new church, and Temple Baptist Church of Los Angeles was born. He held the post until 1909, when
his health began to deteriorate, Even after his retirement from the pulpit, Burdette was called upon to repeatedly to speak and preach For many years, Burdette wrote a regular column for the Times. Dr. Burdette was a man of small physical stature whose words and manner would indicate otherwise. As the "war to end all wars" was about to rage in Europe, the Burdettes enjoyed the tranquility of
Redondo Beach. In July of 1913,he wrote: "The gulls have been unusually numerous all day, and the fishing has been fine for men and birds. Little steam and gasoline launches and fleets of row boats have dotted the blue sea, and many have been the broken circles of water which drew the screaming birds by scores and attracted the boats as well. All this told of a general banquet for everybody save the guests of honor, for the big fish were feeding on the little fish below, driving them to the surface for the gulls, who passed what they could not catch back to the big fish, and the fishermen came with nets and lines that gathered everything but the gulls, so everybody was happy
but the little fish, as usual"