North Hollywood History
Did you know that North Hollywood is the birthplace of California statehood? American history was forever changed in January, 1847, when Lt. Col. John C. Fremont of the United States and General Andres Pico of Mexico met at the Campo de Cahuenga ("Cahuenga Field"), now an historical monument across Lankershim Blvd. from the main entrance to Universal Studios, and signed the treaty that was to end the war between their two countries.Twenty-two years later, in 1869, newcomer Isaac Lankershim recognized that the fertile lands lying just over the Cahuenga Pass from the city of Los Angeles would support many crops. He and his friend, I.N. Van Nuys, purchased the entire southern half of the San Fernando Valley, about 59,500 acres, for $115,000, and planted wheat. Thus was sown the Valley's bountiful agricultural industry.
A general store and a hotel in 1888 signaled the beginning of our town site's commercial development. In another two years, Wilson C. Weddington moved his family to Toluca/Lankershim, and with ten other
families, established the town of Lankershim. By 1896, a post office, rail depot, school, and blacksmith had been added to our farming and fruit orchard community.
In 1910, the Bank of Lankershim opened, followed by a market, bakery, dry goods store and drug store. Streetlights, a constable, and the hustle and bustle of horseless carriages enlivened the community.
Lankershim Businessmen's Association was formed in 1910. The "Red Car" transportation system began in 1911, and the town's fire brigade was stationed at the northwest corner of Chandler and Lankershim. It was a two-wheel cart with a water tank and pump that took at least four volunteers to operate.
Water was always a key issue. Mulholland Aqueduct opened in 1913; until then the only two legal wells were Varney's on Cumpston and Gregg's on the southwest corner of Lankershim and Riverside Drive. By 1914, the population was 1,500, and the Lankershim Businessmen's Association evolved into the Lankershim Chamber of Commerce under Jim Wilson, who would become the Valley's first fully elected Councilman in 1932. Visit the Universal City North Hollywood Chamber office to see a hand painted mural of the Valley, as it appeared 1925.
Carl Laemmle's Universal Film Manufacturing Company was among the first film production businesses to open in Southern California. The area's mild climate and dramatic scenery made for the perfect environment for that era's popular westerns. By 1915, Laemmle opened Universal City, a 230-acre ranch and filmdom's first, self-contained unincorporated community dedicated to making movies. Curley Stecker's wild animals that were part of the company, serenaded the townspeople in 1916 nightly.
At the close of World War I, Victory Boulevard was named in honor of those who had served in the Great War. Making kerosene lamps a thing of the past, the first natural gas line ran from Burbank to Lankershim, servicing 62 customers. Amidst a surging population, it finally became necessary to identify homes and buildings with numbers.
Organized by our local leaders to face the problems of the community, our Chamber of Commerce has for nearly 90 years played a major role in virtually every significant development in North Hollywood. The Chamber supported joining Los Angeles in 1923. Passage of a $378,000 bond issue to purchase 99-acre North Hollywood Park, and the town's name change from Lankershim to North Hollywood, were accomplished in 1927. One of the park's acres became a regional library the following year. Our community now boasted a 1,000,000 white leghorn chicken population.
North Hollywood High School opened with 800 students, graduating its first class in 1928. For the first time, students did not have to travel by Red Car to either Hollywood or Van Nuys. The Board of Education was asked to employ teachers who were residents of North Hollywood. The first telephone exchange was established, with 169 subscribers.
The business community included Blue Bird Caf�, Rathbun's Department store, Pollard-Ho Chevrolet Company and Security National Bank, which replaced the Bank of Lankershim. The community received a new fire station and 335 new fire hydrants. The '20s saw the Kiwanis, Rotary and Optimists clubs established. Fox West Coast Theatres came to town with the El Portal. The theme of the '20s was "Lankershim is Progressive and Impressive."
Population climbed to about 20,000 by the time of the 1929 Stock Market Crash and Great Depression. Every element of the area was touched. Carl Laemmle and his son had to sell their studio to pay off debts. During the Depression years of the 1930's, the Chamber was the unemployment relief headquarters for the Valley. The El Portal Theatre was used for benefit shows for the unemployed. The Chamber served as relief headquarters for the victims of the Great Flood of 1938 when the Los Angeles River could not contain a heavy downpour and its banks overflowed. Property damage was $40 million, and 49 deaths were attributed to the flooding.
The community supported the Farm Loan bill and government guarantee of bank deposits. The Chamber's employment headquarters helped provide jobs to 825 men and women, as well as $390,000 in relief checks. The JayCees (Junior Chamber for Young Businessmen) was formed in the mid-1930's. When our famous resident, Amelia Earhart, disappeared in her attempted around-the-world flight in 1937, the JayCees placed a plaque in her honor at Five Points (the multiple intersection of Camarillo, Lankershim and Vineland streets). In later years, the Chamber supported their continuing efforts for a statute in North Hollywood Park in 1971 and the library name change to the Amelia Earhart branch in 1981.
In 1936 a new post office was dedicated and our first traffic signal was installed at Lankershim and Magnolia Blvds. We became the fastest-growing community in the Valley, and pushed for the opening of a Cahuenga Pass thoroughfare. We supported the construction of Hansen Dam and the purchase of a junior high school site and its development in 1939.
During World War II, we were the Civil Defense Headquarters for the San Fernando Valley. Tons of salvage were collected, thousands of pints of blood were donated, air raid systems were set up, and the Chamber helped raise $400,000 for a Lockheed Vega bomber named "The Spirit of North Hollywood." A major defense industry sprang up, and in the process, some of the old trees planted in the 1880s were destroyed. The first section of the Cahuenga Freeway was dedicated. Population passed the 43,000 mark.
By now our community had moved from cattle and sheep to wheat fields and fruit orchards. Bonner Fruit and Cannery Co., located on Chandler near Lankershim, produced and shipped tons of canned fruit throughout the United States. Our town was known as the "home of the peach." We later became a poultry oasis, earning the name "home of the hen." Next came post-war suburbia and major growth. The town would never be the same again. "A peach of a place to have a home" was our new moniker. The area's rapid growth caused a housing shortage, but demand for housing soon led to a construction boom that transformed the Valley from a predominantly agricultural area into a sprawling suburban community.
North Hollywood numbered 36 pre-war industries, compared to today's 12,000 businesses and industries. Rathbun's Department Store had the highest sales volume for its size as an independent retailer in the
nation. The "Valley Times", our daily newspaper, was an outgrowth of the community's "Laconic", which had begun printing in 1909. In the 1940s, a new fire station was built at Chandler and Tujunga. In 1949 the Campo de Cahuenga Historical Adobe was built on the site of the signing of the Treaty of Cahuenga in 1847, bringing "peace with honor" and ending the hostilities of the Mexican American War in California, setting the stage for California to gain statehood in 1850.
In 1950, Universal City added 140 acres and thus became the largest film factory in the world. By the close of the 1950s, population reached 152,000, and there was a drive to help save Pacific Electric's Red Cars, get the trucks off of and resurface Lankershim Blvd., and widen Vineland Avenue. Valley Plaza became a reality in 1952 as the Sears store was dedicated. May Co. opened its doors in 1955. Valley Plaza and Laurel Plaza together were reported to be the largest suburban shopping center west of the Mississippi. The Chamber supported an Industrial Conference, and an expansion of sewers and storm drains. North Hollywood High heralded its uncrowned city champion football team of 1954, and Bob's Big Boy in Toluca Lake was the place to be.
As television grew as an industry, film production slowed down. Music Corporation of America (MCA) bought Universal Studios in 1959 to serve for television production. To help offset expenses, MCA reopened the studio tour portion of their business that had been started with great fanfare by the Laemmle's during the silent movie era but that was necessarily shut down when the industry went to "talkies", as soundproofing was not very effective in those times.
The Universal Studio Tour quickly became popular, and the building of the Sheraton Universal Hotel in 1969 accelerated the tourism boom, bringing more than 4 million visitors a year. A price of progress--congestion--was felt with the opening of the Ventura and Hollywood Freeways, further opening up our bedroom community. At the same time, North and South Weddington Parks were dedicated, and due to Chamber Committee activity, additional land taken for freeways was added to Weddington Park and Valley Plaza Park. (North Hollywood residents paid for parkland by voting for their own assessment in 1927.) Sadly, by the end of 1968, the "Valley Times" closed its doors.
The More Modern Downtown Committee, which grew into the Citizen Advisory Committee, formulated a 20-year community Master Plan that was passed by City Hall in 1975. That led to Operation Gateway, bringing the 740-acre CRA Redevelopment Program to North Hollywood in 1979, for the first project of its kind in the San Fernando Valley. More than $200 million of private enterprise investment and $89 million in CRA funding has been invested in our area.
The Chamber of Commerce remained active throughout. A Women's Division was formed in 1971 and continued through 1983. The Citizens Action Committee combated areas of economic degradation in our community. Urbanization was changing us. Rathbun's Department Store was sold to Naha's. There was a failed attempt to change the name of Lankershim Blvd. to Universal Blvd. The Valley Free Clinic opened, and today continues to outgrow its space as the Valley Community Clinic. In 1976, 30,000 citizens enjoyed a Bicentennial Fourth of July celebration in North Hollywood Park. By 1979, the community's population exceeded 200,000.
In the 1980s, the heart of the redevelopment effort was the inception of the Academy Project, with an investment of $350 million, highlighting the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences. The Chamber became the Universal City/North Hollywood Chamber of Commerce in 1985. In 1987, the Chamber formed the San Fernando Valley Charitable Foundation, now a separate organization that sponsors many charitable events, among them the popular 5K/10K Universal Backlot Run. The UCNH Chamber has continuously selected an Honorary Mayor, starting with Glenda Farrell in 1938. 
Some of the notable people who have served as Honorary Mayors have been Gene Autry, Gordon Jenkins, Elise Harmon, Arthur Wong, Yvonne De Carlo and Andy Griffith. Today's Honorary Mayor, Miss Beverly Garland, has graced us with her "reign" since 1973.
Today, the UCNH Chamber, with its numerous committees and Board of Directors, is moving toward its 100th year of service to the community. The NoHo Arts District is growing rapidly. We have a new North Hollywood police station and plans for much more growth, development and expansion, including $531 million for the CRA project, a LANI project and the downtown Academy project, to name just a few. Development is under way at the Robinson's-May Valley Plaza regional shopping center and Campo de Cahuenga Historical Educational Center.
Universal CityWalk is a shining addition to the community. This fabulous complex boasts restaurants, a state-of-the-art movie theater complex, Universal Amphitheater and dozens of fine specialty shops. The Universal City/Campo de Cahuenga Subway Station is a jumping-off point for the Universal Studios Tour, CityWalk, and the historical site at the Campo.
The North Hollywood Metro Subway station opened in June 2000 during our annual NoHo Theatre & Arts festival drawing nearly 200,000 visitors to the community. It is the starting point for the entire Metro system. Our theatre district is growing at a steady pace, including two new large venues that expand upon existing theatres, the newly redesigned American Renegade Theatre, and the redesigned Historical El Portal. They add to the existing 31 theatres located in and around the NoHo Arts District. An exciting new 
mixed-use development, the NoHo Commons, is planned near the NoHo Arts District's commercial core and subway station by the J.H. Snyder Company.
Once again, this area will glow as the East Valley's economic hub, as it did in the first half of this century. Many Chamber of Commerce and community events take place throughout the year, such as our NoHo Theatre and Arts Festival, Comedy Nights, Networking Mixers, State of the Community Luncheon, and informative Monthly Networking Breakfast meetings.
The NoHo Arts District is slated to receive $ 2 Million Dollars through a Benefit Assessment District. On Chandler Boulevard a mural depicting the history of the area has been completed. The Historic Railroad Station and the adjacent Plaza Park will be restored to their original 1920's condition . The David Potell Memorial Sports Facility is to be built in North Hollywood Park and finished next year. The NoHo Arts District will continue to be developed along with its exciting annual Festival. The Snyder development, NoHo Commons, is continuing through the approval process. Check out ongoing developments at Community Redevelopment on our economic development page. Campo de Cahuenga is on its way to becoming a National Historical site & the community effort is underway to permanently bronze the Amelia Earhart Statue which stands in front of our North Hollywood Public Library.
Without question, Universal City and North Hollywood have not only advanced dramatically in the last century, but are also poised for unprecedented growth as the area redefines itself as a major business, residential, and arts district at the crossroads of the Southern California lifestyle.
The Chamber gratefully acknowledges contributors:
Guy Weddington McCreary, author, historian & community leader.
Tom Sheehan/thewriteplace@juno.com
NoHo Arts District History
Business & Theatre Owners in the Universal City/North Hollywood Chamber of Commerce formed the idea of establishing a theatre and arts district in 1992 with support from L.A. Department of Cultural Affairs. We chose "NoHo" as it not only distinctly revealed our location, but also plays off the well-known "SoHo" Arts District of New York City. In the summer of 1993, we began with a handful of theaters and art galleries.
The NoHo Theatre and Arts Festival began on a small scale. The first of these annual Festivals celebrated the Arts & was so compact it could be contained in the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences courtyard.
This past year's festival showed its color, music, and laughter over three blocks of Lankershim Blvd. Three stages featured live entertainment on an almost continuous basis. A Latin Village & Children's Court was featured. We showcased every type of music, dance and all of the performing arts. Many of the over 30 theaters that are a part of NoHo offered free performances over this 2 day celebration of theatre and the arts in June.
There was a special tent of activities to entertain the visiting kids (and their accompanying adults). The entire area became an old-fashioned marketplace offering a multitude of vendors displaying their distinctive, hand-crafted wares & gifts. Our food court was continuously active as the throngs treated themselves to a multitude of local delicacies. A beer and wine garden added to our merry landscape.
But, of course, our NoHo area is a year 'round event. The theatres and galleries are growing in numbers and have been joined by cafes, shops, and entertainment related businesses of all kinds. Our neighborhood now has everything from a world famous coffee house to a renowned acting academy to post-production facilities & recording & rehearsal studios. Anything that an artist, or arts-patron, of any genre could need is within our ever-expanding boundaries. We even have the Metro system for easy transportation. Just 7 minutes to Universal & another 7 minutes to Hollywood Blvd.
We shouldn't single out any one aspect of NoHo, however, boast we must. Driving the force behind our desire to let the world know what a treasure we have in our community are the live theaters. They are the very heart of the NoHo district. Nothing is more electric. Nothing is more exhilarating. Nothing is more intimate. And, in NoHo, nothing is more available. NoHo is, in essence, devoted to our thriving theater district. Come and visit. Have dinner, experience a show & top it off with cappuccino.
Our inspiration became an idea. Our idea fostered action and activity. As one can only hope in a situation such as this, NoHo took on a life of its own.
