Hollywood, Los Angeles
On the 1st of February 1887, Harvey H. Wilcox purchased 120 acres of land that would become the heart of a future entertainment capital. His wife Daeida Wilcox chose the name Hollywood after hearing it from an acquaintance who owned an estate with that same name in Illinois. She told her husband she selected the name because it sounded nice and because holly brought good luck. The couple filed their deed and parcel map with the Los Angeles County Recorder's office in August 1887. By 1900, the region had developed a post office, newspaper, hotel, and two markets. A single-track streetcar line ran down Prospect Avenue but service was infrequent and took two hours to reach Los Angeles. The old citrus fruit-packing house converted into a livery stable improved transportation for local inhabitants. Real estate developer H. J. Whitley opened the Hollywood Hotel in 1902 to attract land buyers. He installed electricity along several blocks of Prospect Avenue and built both a bank and a road into the Cahuenga Pass. Whitley's company subdivided the Ocean View Tract and promoted the area heavily through paid advertising campaigns.
Filmmakers began moving to Los Angeles in the early 1900s to escape Thomas Edison's Motion Picture Patents Company lawsuits based in New Jersey. Director D. W. Griffith made his first motion picture in Hollywood during 1910 for the Biograph Company. His short film In Old California ran only 17 minutes long. The Nestor Film Company became Hollywood's first studio when it opened in early 1913 on Formosa Avenue near Helen Muir's home. John Muir returned from his tour of Europe and East Africa just months later while continuing work on Yosemite. By 1912, major motion-picture companies had come West to set up production facilities near or inside Los Angeles. Four major film companies including Paramount, Warner Bros., RKO, and Columbia established studios in Hollywood alongside several minor companies and rental studios. The 1920s saw Hollywood become the fifth-largest industry in the nation. Studios achieved full vertical integration by the 1930s as production, distribution, and exhibition came under single company control. This structure enabled Hollywood to produce approximately 600 films per year during that decade. The mountains, plains, and low land prices made the area ideal for establishing film studios.
A large sign reading HOLLYWOODLAND appeared in the Hollywood Hills during 1923 to advertise real estate developers Woodruff's and Shoults' housing development. The Hollywood Chamber of Commerce entered a contract with the City of Los Angeles in 1949 to repair and rebuild the landmark. Agreement stipulations required removal of the letters LAND so the sign would spell only HOLLYWOOD instead of referring to the original housing project. The sign now serves as a district symbol rather than a real estate advertisement. During the early 1950s, the State of California constructed the Hollywood Freeway through the northeast corner of Hollywood. The Capitol Records Building on Vine Street opened in 1956 just north of Hollywood Boulevard. The Hollywood Walk of Fame was created in 1958 as tribute to artists and other significant contributors to the entertainment industry. Its official opening occurred on the 8th of February 1960 when Kramer received the first name placed on the walkway.
The Hollywood extension of the Los Angeles Metro Rail Red Line subway opened in June 1999 running from Downtown Los Angeles to the San Fernando Valley. Stops along Hollywood Boulevard included Western Avenue, Vine Street, and Highland Avenue locations. Columbia Square at the northwest corner of Sunset Boulevard and Gower Street became part of ongoing rebirth efforts after years of serious decline during the 1980s. Crime, drugs, and increasing poverty among some residents had threatened many landmarks with demolition before restoration began. The Art Deco-style studio complex completed in 1938 once served as CBS headquarters before becoming home to cable television networks including MTV, Comedy Central, BET, and Spike TV in 2014. A $420 million office, residential, and retail complex transformed the area into a new generation broadcaster hub. Paramount Skydance Corporation moved their corporate headquarters to Hollywood in August 2025 following merger activities. Four thousand new apartments and over thirty low to mid-rise development projects received approval in 2019 alone. The Dolby Theatre opened in 2001 as the Kodak Theatre within the Hollywood & Highland Center mall where the historic Hollywood Hotel once stood.
The Academy Awards have been held every year since 2004 in late February or early March at the Dolby Theatre on Hollywood Boulevard and Highland Avenue. Prior to 2004 ceremonies occurred in late March or early April instead. The annual Hollywood Christmas Parade travels down Hollywood Boulevard and broadcasts across Los Angeles area stations including KTLA. The 75th edition of this parade took place during 2006. The Hollywood Half Marathon began operations in 2012 running along Hollywood Boulevard with events including Half Marathon, 10K, 5K, and Kids Fun Run categories. This event raises funds and awareness for local youth homeless shelters. The Hollywood Boulevard Commercial and Entertainment District received listing on the National Register of Historic Places in 1984. In 1994, ten other towns named Hollywood successfully fought attempts by the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce to trademark their shared name. Johnny Grant served as honorary Mayor of Hollywood from 1980 until his death on the 9th of January 2008. The Four Ladies of Hollywood sculpture stands prominently on Hollywood Boulevard as a modern landmark visible throughout 2018.
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Common questions
When did Harvey H. Wilcox purchase the land that became Hollywood?
Harvey H. Wilcox purchased 120 acres of land on the 1st of February 1887.
Who named the neighborhood Hollywood and why did she choose that name?
Daeida Wilcox chose the name Hollywood after hearing it from an acquaintance who owned an estate with that same name in Illinois because holly brought good luck and the name sounded nice.
Which film company opened as Hollywood's first studio in early 1913?
The Nestor Film Company became Hollywood's first studio when it opened in early 1913 on Formosa Avenue near Helen Muir's home.
What year did the Hollywood sign change to spell only HOLLYWOOD instead of HOLLYWOODLAND?
The Hollywood Chamber of Commerce entered a contract with the City of Los Angeles in 1949 to remove the letters LAND so the sign would spell only HOLLYWOOD.
How many residents lived within the Hollywood neighborhood boundaries during the 2000 U.S. census?
The 2000 U.S. census counted 77,818 residents living within the Hollywood neighborhood boundaries.
When was the Dolby Theatre originally opened under its previous name?
The Dolby Theatre opened in 2001 as the Kodak Theatre within the Hollywood & Highland Center mall where the historic Hollywood Hotel once stood.