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Whitley became a Paso Robles enthusiast, after the waters had given him new strength. He bought 48,000 acres of ranch lands there and dreams of putting through one more great development project. He can't understand how fine fertile land with water on it, on a state highway and within reach of ocean
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Hollywood was then a rural settlement of eighteen families; Whitley envisioned
Hollywood "as a thriving suburb of Los Angeles." He subdivided 400 acres of open fields and gardens into a residential section, and more families came here to live."
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Original 480-acre map of H J Whitley's property developed by his company, Los
Angeles Pacific Boulevard and Development Company. Highland Avenue runs through the center of the property. The square at the lower right hand corner is the Whitley
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428:(now Canoga Park). The Suburban Home Company laid out plans for roads and the towns of Van Nuys, Reseda (Marian) and Canoga Park (Owensmouth). The rural areas were annexed into the city of Los Angeles in 1915.
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360:. He purchased over 3,000 acres (12 km) to start the development, and was able to control the town's development through an interlocking set of companies that he controlled.
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He was identified with the founding of Home
Savings Bank, the First National Bank of Hollywood, the First National Bank of Van Nuys, and the State Banks of Owensmouth (
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Whitley died on June 3, 1931, at the
Whitley Park Country Club on Ventura Boulevard near Van Nuys. He was buried in the Hollywood Memorial Park Cemetery, today named
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It was said that
Whitley had amassed "a private fortune running into the millions" but "most of this wealth dwindled in one unfortunate investment at Paso Robles."
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and George W. Hoover, of the Los
Angeles Pacific Boulevard and Development Company. He orchestrated the opening of the Ocean View Tract and construction of a
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said of him after his death: "He is remembered by the affectionate title which his community long ago bestowed upon him, the 'Father of
Hollywood.'"
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231:(October 7, 1847 – June 3, 1931) was a Canadian-American businessman and real estate developer. Whitley is best known for helping create the
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Whitley Avenue, Los
Angeles - a north/south street, begins on Hollywood Blvd. in Hollywood, running to Whitley Terrace in Whitley Heights.
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on the same
Hollywood and Highland corner, with George W. Hoover as builder. Construction was completed in February 1903.
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Whitley came to
California in 1893; the next year, 1894, he established the HJ Whitley Jewelry Store in Los Angeles.
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From about 1920 until his death, his company Whiltley Oil and Refining engaged in oil drilling in California.
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Whitley's last development was never finished. He bought thousands of acres and started the town of
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Whitley donated large parcels of land and money for civic use. The donations were used to finance
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and was elected to its board of directors. He plotted and organized towns in the
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H. J. Whitley, California real estate man known as the "Father of Hollywood ...
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818:"HJ Whitley and the Original Hollywood & Highland, 'The Hollywood Hotel'"
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Land of Fair Promise: Politics and Reform in Los Angeles Schools 1885 – 1941
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In 1905, he and others began the development of 47,000 acres of land in the
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It is estimated that Whitley founded more than 140 towns in his lifetime.
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Volume 54, Number 4, Conference of California Historical Societies (2008)
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In 1909 he formed the Suburban Homes Company, a syndicate, along with
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Whitley Terrace - an east/west street, in Whitley Heights, Hollywood.
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originated as a residential housing development financed by Whitley.
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In 1887, Whitley married his second wife, Margaret Virginia Ross.
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Whitley Terrace Steps - goes from Milner Road to Emmet Terrace.
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Emigrants from pre-Confederation Ontario to the United States
348:." The first reference to Whitley by that title was in 1905.
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The Owensmouth Baby - The Making of the San Fernando Valley
255:, and attended Toronto Business College. Whitley became a
239:. He is among those known as the "Father of Hollywood."
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Hollywood Remembered: An Oral History of Its Golden Age
443:. On his crypt is inscribed "The Father of Hollywood".
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bank on the corner of Hollywood Boulevard and Highland
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Whitley Avenue - main street in Corcoran, California.
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446:He was survived by his wife, a son and a daughter.
389:winds can still be bought for around $ 50 an acre.
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51:. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed.
949:California Exposures: Envisioning Myth and History
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282:and in 1912 he "declined the first governorship."
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847:Stephens, E. J.; Stephens, Kim (July 17, 2017).
549:Stephens, E. J.; Stephens, Kim (July 17, 2017).
994:Santa Susana Press, California, 1987; p. 18-20.
1071:Los Angeles Evening Express, February 21, 1924
416:, H. G. Otis, M. H. Sherman and O. F. Brandt.
356:Whitley took the lead in building the city of
876:"The Hill, Hollywood's Mediterranean Village"
790:Wanamaker, Marc; Nudelman, Robert W. (2007).
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974:"The Lee Side oO'L.A.; Whitley's New Dream"
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1212:"Will Subdivide Large Paso Robles Ranch,"
1044:. Stanford University Press. p. 112.
763:Hollywood, 1900-1950, in Vintage Postcards
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1301:Naturalized citizens of the United States
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311:Whitley became a major shareholder, with
111:Learn how and when to remove this message
1010:. Temple University Press. p. 199.
1004:George L. Henderson (February 1, 2003).
929:"Death Claims Hollywood Founder's Widow"
257:naturalized citizen of the United States
828:from the original on September 10, 2015
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16:American businessman and land developer
1281:Canadian businesspeople in real estate
1251:American businesspeople in real estate
1007:California and the Fictions of Capital
1256:Burials at Hollywood Forever Cemetery
912:"Wilcox First Big Subdivider in L.A."
850:Legends of Hollywood Forever Cemetery
552:Legends of Hollywood Forever Cemetery
487:Streets named after Whitley include:
7:
1246:20th-century American businesspeople
1241:19th-century American businesspeople
49:adding citations to reliable sources
874:Bennett, Patricia (July 12, 1992).
1291:History of the San Fernando Valley
1148:Molnar, Josef (January 13, 2008).
14:
946:White, Richard (March 17, 2020).
424:(Red Cars) through the Valley to
344:, has been called "The Father of
1311:People from Corcoran, California
1167:Semas, Michael J. (March 2006).
616:"Whitley's Last Rites Conducted"
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1261:Businesspeople from Los Angeles
1129:"Whitley Estate Shrank Rapidly"
36:needs additional citations for
1137:. November 9, 1931. p. 1.
980:. September 9, 1930. image 22.
952:. W. W. Norton & Company.
730:Zollo, Paul (April 16, 2011).
712:"'Father of Hollywood' Dies".
682:Palmer, Edwin Obadiah (1937).
657:The stars of Hollywood Forever
640:June 8, 1905, page 8, column 3
636:"Personals and Brief Locals,"
532:Hunt, Rockwell Dennis (1930).
204:Land development in California
1:
900:. December 16, 1921. image 4.
736:. Taylor Trade Publications.
1103:Discover Hollywood Magazine,
597:"Van Nuys The Wonder Town,"
495:Whitley Heights, Los Angeles
1266:Businesspeople from Toronto
935:. August 22, 1951. image 3.
917:. August 5, 1922. image 24.
915:Los Angeles Evening Express
894:"Whitley Park Lights Aglow"
538:. Lewis publishing Company.
535:California and Californians
364:Whitley Gardens, California
188:Hollywood Memorial Cemetery
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1296:Landowners from California
1038:Judith R. Raftery (1992).
580:"Death Calls H.J. Whitley"
441:Hollywood Forever Cemetery
654:Scott, Tony Luke (2001).
622:. June 6, 1931. image 15.
586:. June 4, 1931. image 19.
470:), Reseda, and Corcoran.
212:Margaret Virginia Whitley
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760:Dangcil, Thomas (2002).
601:August 30, 1912, image 6
422:Pacific Electric Railway
405:and 50,000 acres in the
229:Hobart Johnstone Whitley
196:Toronto Business College
127:Hobart Johnstone Whitley
1199:The Father of Hollywood
990:Mulholland, Catherine.
898:Hollywood Daily Citizen
714:Hollywood Daily Citizen
374:Paso Robles, California
178:Los Angeles, California
1286:History of Los Angeles
1271:California Republicans
1197:Gaelyn Whitley Keith,
1173:. Arcadia Publishing.
1150:"Valentino slept here"
1081:"Whitley Dead at 83".
933:Los Angeles Daily News
853:. Arcadia Publishing.
796:. Arcadia Publishing.
766:. Arcadia Publishing.
555:. Arcadia Publishing.
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1116:California Historian,
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1306:Oklahoma Republicans
824:. October 22, 2012.
822:Millennium Hollywood
685:History of Hollywood
638:Tulare County Times,
358:Corcoran, California
352:Corcoran, California
340:Whitley, along with
329:The neighborhood of
276:Rock Island Railroad
247:Whitley was born in
45:improve this article
1210:Newspaper article:
418:Henry E. Huntington
407:San Fernando Valley
342:Charles E. Toberman
1214:The Van Nuys News,
599:The Van Nuys News,
403:San Joaquin Valley
376:. Around 1924, as
322:Whitely built the
313:Harrison Gray Otis
302:
1206:978-1-61663-475-9
1180:978-0-7385-3109-0
1154:Los Angeles Times
1134:The Van Nuys News
1051:978-0-8047-1930-8
1017:978-1-59213-198-3
978:Los Angeles Times
959:978-0-393-24307-9
880:Los Angeles Times
860:978-1-4396-6142-0
803:978-0-7385-4792-3
773:978-0-7385-2073-5
743:978-1-58979-614-0
620:Los Angeles Times
584:Los Angeles Times
562:978-1-4396-6142-0
460:Hollywood Citizen
378:Los Angeles Times
270:Whitley moved to
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1087:. June 5, 1931.
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172:(1931-06-03)
170:June 3, 1931
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43:Please help
38:verification
35:
18:
1236:1931 deaths
1231:1847 births
1105:spring 2010
491:Hobart Blvd
468:Canoga Park
382:Lee Shippey
237:Los Angeles
160:Canada West
1225:Categories
514:References
426:Owensmouth
380:columnist
286:California
243:Early life
148:1847-10-07
71:newspapers
1023:August 8,
832:March 26,
482:insolvent
346:Hollywood
291:Hollywood
233:Hollywood
217:Parent(s)
193:Education
826:Archived
666:53027487
384:put it:
333:in the
300:estate.
272:Chicago
249:Toronto
156:Toronto
85:scholar
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435:Death
92:JSTOR
78:books
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1059:2013
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1025:2012
1012:ISBN
954:ISBN
855:ISBN
834:2021
798:ISBN
768:ISBN
738:ISBN
662:OCLC
557:ISBN
457:The
167:Died
142:Born
64:news
47:by
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