H. J. whitley, pioneer California real estate man and known as the "Father of Hollywood." died yesterday at the age of 83 years and after an illness of more than a year. Mr. Whitley died during his sleep while staying as a guest of his son Ross Whitley at the Whitley Park Country Club in Van Nuys.
A long career as a real-estate broker started with Mr. Whitley's employment as a land agent for the Rock Island Raiload when he was sent into Oklahoma during the time of the opening of the Cherokee Strip. He held a similar post with the Great Northern Railroad and in 1894, when his health broke he came to California and first engaged in the jewelry business in Los Angeles.
FATHER OF HOLLYWOOD
His first development here was on a 400-acre tract in what is now Hollywood, which he turned from a district of vegetable gardens and farms into a valuable residential district. As the result of the success of the subdivision, one of the first in Hollywood, Mr. Whitley became known as the "Father of Hollywood."
During 1905 Mr. Whitley in company with a group of Los Angeles business men undertook the developemtn of 47,000 acres in the San Joaquin Valley and carried through a similar porject involving nearly 50,000 acres in the San Fernando Valley. Both districts are now covered with fertile farms.
Mr. Whitley continued his activity in Southern California property until 1922, when he completed the development of his Whitley Heights which was known as one of the first hillside subdivision in Hollywood. The opening of the tract in 1920 was the scene of a public barbecue, with city officials and businessmen men of the city as guests.
In addition to his work in real estate development, Mr. Whitley was known as one of the founders of the Home Savings Bank and was as well identified with the organization of the First National Bank of Van Nuys and State banks in Owensmouth (now Canoga Park) Reseda and Corcoran.
Mr. Whitley leaves his widow, Mrs. Margaret Whitley, who lives at the family residence, 6643 Whitley Terrace: his son, Ross E. Whitley of Van Nuys: a daughter, Grace Virginia Whitley, and three grandchildren.
In order to attract the movie industry to Hollywood H. J. Whitley advertised it as the "American Mediterranean". The new Hollywood elite found Mediterranean-style houses with their simple, squared stucco walls and red-tile roofs the style of the future. Whitley Heights is styled very much in the spirit of a hill town, albeit a wealthy private one, with winding narrow streets edged by proud stucco structures docarated with glazed tile and ironwork. Pedestrians do not have to compete with cars, select streets are connected by public stairs that rise up the lush hillside.
Over the years I have been speaking to audiances around the world on televison, radio talk shows, newspaper interview and at Hollywood Academy Award functions. Many times I have been asked, "How did Hollywood got its name?" To start with I am going to share with you the way my great-grandmother wrote it in her handwriten memoirs. While on their honeymoon in 1886 they rode horses out to the foothills of the Cahuega Valley. They dismounted near the top of the hill to look at the view of the entire valley. Along came a Chinese man riding in a wagon. He stopped, got out of the wagon and politely bowed. HJ Whitley asked him what he had been doing. The man said in broken English, “Up early. Work hard. Hauly wood.” The man’s was hauling wood. With that HJ had an epiphany. He decided to name the new town he planned to build there Hollywood. Holly would represent his British roots and Wood his Scottish ancestry.
The next day he road back to Hollywood (Cahuenga) and obtained a verbal contract to buy the four hundred eighty (480) acres from Mr. Hurd.A handshake was used to finalize the deal.A picture of the tract of land (subdivision map) that was purchase is below.The center of the land is Highland and Hollywood Boulevard.The square on the bottom right is where the Whitley Estate was located and the location where the first Hollywood Studio filmed on October 26, 1911.
After securing the land HJ visited with a friend Ivar Weid.He told Ivar of his plans to build a town named Hollywood.Ivar Weid then told his neighbors Daeida and Harvey Wilcox of Whitley’s plan.
Many people have been confused by an advertisement printed by the Los Angeles Litho Company which was produced at a later date.
It was added to a pamphlet given away by the bank as an advertisment. Many of the futures on the map are inacurrate. Many of the buildings never existed.
Much of the mis-information that is currently circulating comes from Edwin Palmer. Below is a disclaimer written in the front of the book "Hollywood History" by Edwin O Palmer, Edwin O Palmer Publisher 1936. Unfornately much of his misinformation was counted as a reliable source by authors who published in the 1950's onward.
The following letter addresses issues that HJ Whitley had with Doctor Palmer an employee of Mrs. Wilcox. He was concerned that history was being incorrectly recorded. Appears to be something we need to watch out for. History is history. We can learn from it.
The truth is, H J Whitley named Hollywood in 1886.
I just wanted to send a little Christmas Cheer and say Happy New Year 2022. It will be the year for you. Many changes will becoming that we hardly believe will be possible. 2022 is the year for you!
See…the video here is the Whitley Building in Disney’s….California Adventure. I want to give you a little of its history. The Disney Corporation wanted to expand Disneyland after 50 years of phenomenal success. Disneyland wanted to offer the world a bit of California history from Walt Disney’s perspective. We all know that Walt Disney was one of the early pioneers of the Golden Age of Hollywood.
The Disney designers selected the building on the corner of Hollywood Blvd and Whitley Ave because of its art deco design ….and because it is sitting on the very spot where the first Hollywood Movie Studio filmed. The building was given the name the Whitley Building to honor HJ Whitley, the father of Hollywood. HJ had invited William Horsley and his crew to stay at his Hotel Hollywood. The next day Nestor Studio used the Whitley property that was located at 6601 Hollywood Blvd to do a film test.
You can find the Whitley Building near the entrance of Hollywood Studios in Disney California Adventure.
