H.J. WHITLEY

Hobart Johnstone “H.J.” Whitley was a real estate developer who became known as the father of Hollywood, the capital of the world’s entertainment industry. 

He was born in Toronto in 1847, became a real estate developer and naturalized U.S. citizen and eventually moved to Los Angeles. At that time, what is now known as Hollywood was a rural settlement. 

Whitley bought 480 acres of open field with designs to turn it into a Los Angeles suburb.

 There are different theories as to how Hollywood got its name. One legend refers to the holly-like bush that grew in the area. Whitley’s own diary tells of an encounter he had with a Chinese man in the nearby hills. The man was transporting wood in a wagon, and – in broken English – told Whitley, “I holly wood,” meaning that he was hauling wood. Whitley said it was this Chinese acquaintance that gave him the idea to name his new subdivision Hollywood.

In 1893, Whitley built the famed Hollywood Hotel and decided that the new community needed to build a local industry for economic support. He chose motion picture production and convinced a New Jersey movie studio to open a West Coast production unit in Hollywood. It was called the Nestor Motion Picture Company.

Soon, other studios followed – attracted by Southern California’s temperate climate and proximity to forests, deserts, beaches and mountains. The rest, as they say, is history.