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185:. With the help of an influential friend, who was impressed with Letts' knowledge of that type of business, a loan of $ 5,000 (~$ 157,564 in 2023) was secured from the Los Angeles National Bank, and opened his business on February 24, 1896. He named the
220:. was to create a mixed development of retail, apartments, residences, estates, and significant university. He personally christened the developments Westwood and "Holmby Hills," the latter loosely derived from the name of his
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The development of
Westwood, Holmby Hills, and UCLA began in 1919 when Arthur Letts Sr. purchased a 400 acres (1.6 km) portion of the Wolfskill Ranch, originally the Mexican land grant
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collection was known across the country. It was bound by
Franklin Avenue, Vermont Avenue, Los Feliz Boulevard, and Laughlin Park. The gardens were open to the public for tours, with the
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department store, and put John
Bullock from his The Broadway to direct this store. After Letts' death, Bullock and a group of investors purchased the store from the estate.
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stopping at it. It was his wish that the gardens be continued even after his death. Upon his death in May 1923, his wife, at the suggestion of son-in-law Harold Janss of
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in 1927 to subdivide and develop the land, and moved to a new residence in Holmby Hills. She had remarried by June, 1924 to
Charles Quinn.
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Los
Angeles from the mountains to the sea : with selected biography of actors and witnesses to the period of growth and achievement
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Letts arrived in the Los
Angeles, California, area in 1896. At the corner of Fourth and Broadway, then on the far southern edge of the
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and clasp for distinguished service, and a grant of land by the
Canadian government. In the early 1890s, he emigrated to the
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estate Holmby House were formally laid out with wide variety of trees, shrubs, and flowers, and his
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before sold in 2016 for $ 100 million (~$ 124 million in 2023) to the son of the owner of
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continued developing planned communities across greater Los
Angeles into the 1960s.
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296:, the Realty Board, the Hollywood Board of Trade, the Federation Club, and the
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A History of
California and an Extended History of Los Angeles and Environs
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business district, the J. A. Williams & Co. Dry Goods Store had gone
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Arthur Letts 1862–1923: man and merchant steadfast friend loyal employer
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Arthur Letts was the 'behind the scenes' financial founder and owner of
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Letts joined a number of organizations. He was member of the
Hollywood
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broke out in the Northwest of Canada, he volunteered. He was awarded a
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Arthur Letts residence, also called Holmby House, Hollywood, ca.1905
360:(who lived at the back of the property), demolished the gardens and
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built a Tudor-style home at Charing Cross Road on the Los Angeles
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511:, p. 891, Historic Record Company, Los Angeles, California
443:, Published in 1927, Young & McCallister (Los Angeles)
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Letts, Arthur Jr., House, Holmby Hills, Los Angeles plans
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140:, Northamptonshire, England. In 1882 he emigrated to
104:(June 17, 1862 – May 18, 1923) was an immigrant from
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In 1911, Arthur Letts Sr.'s daughter Gladys married
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Letts married Florence Philp on August 25, 1886, in
276:. He was also a member of the Nationally exclusive
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368:purchased many of the rare specimen cacti for his
95:Florence Edna, Gladys (Janss) and Arthur Letts Jr.
556:, Vol II, The American Historical Society, p. 117
340:and avid plant collector. The grounds of his
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484:Los Angeles from the Mountains to the Sea
534:"Playboy Mansion sold for $ 100 million"
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292:. He was involved with the Los Angeles
298:Automobile Club of Southern California
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487:, American Historical Society, 1921
124:department store, later adding the
623:People from Los Feliz, Los Angeles
532:Isidore, Chris (August 17, 2016).
300:. Letts was vice-president of the
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419:connecting the two families. The
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208:Westwood, UCLA, and, Holmby Hills
160:, and began retail employment in
583:20th-century American landowners
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16:American businessman (1862–1923)
598:Immigrants to the United States
552:John Steven McGroarty, (1921),
214:Rancho San Jose de Buenos Ayres
573:Businesspeople from California
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136:Arthur Letts Sr. was born in
336:Arthur Letts was a skilled
59:, Northamptonshire, England
37:Arthur Letts Sr. about 1907
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578:Landowners from California
507:James Miller Guinn, 1915,
439:William H.B Kilner, 1927,
311:Holmby House and gardens,
196:Bullock's Department Store
469:December 7, 2008, at the
464:Store Gives Outing (1904)
258:Los Angeles Athletic Club
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481:McGroarty, John Steven.
421:Janss Investment Company
370:Huntington Desert Garden
358:Janss Investment Company
354:Pacific Electric Railway
262:Los Angeles Country Club
108:who made his fortune in
110:Los Angeles, California
76:Los Angeles, California
453:Arthur Letts Biography
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302:Boy Scouts of America
224:, a small village in
593:Immigrants to Canada
266:Midwick Country Club
254:Downtown Los Angeles
179:downtown Los Angeles
118:Downtown Los Angeles
366:Henry E. Huntington
294:Chamber of Commerce
290:Northern California
218:western Los Angeles
158:Seattle, Washington
146:Red River Rebellion
120:into the prominent
374:Huntington Library
372:at his estate and
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274:San Gabriel Valley
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588:British emigrants
325:Marriage and home
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150:silver medal
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70:(1923-05-18)
68:May 18, 1923
25:Arthur Letts
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608:1923 deaths
603:1862 births
397:Hugh Hefner
168:Los Angeles
132:Early years
567:Categories
427:References
378:San Marino
264:, and the
222:birthplace
49:1862-06-17
618:Bullock's
387:In 1927,
346:Hollywood
315:(c. 1905)
236:Community
202:Bullock's
162:dry goods
126:Bullock's
116:store in
114:dry goods
467:Archived
270:Alhambra
230:Holdenby
183:bankrupt
138:Holdenby
92:Children
57:Holdenby
362:mansion
280:on the
272:in the
228:called
226:England
128:store.
106:England
350:cactus
320:Family
256:, the
244:, the
84:Spouse
78:, US
65:Died
43:Born
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