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.
