The Erasure of Hollywood

Hollywood has been called many things over the years: Tinseltown, La-La Land, The City of (broken) Dreams and The Entertainment Capital of the World. But for thousands of years it was native land until it was conquered and colonized by Spain. It then became Nopalera, Mexico named after the Nopalera Cactus that flourished in the area. That was until the Mexican-American war when California, along with Texas and the Southwest were “acquired” by the US.  Then the Manifest Destiny crowd came in their covered wagons from the East. By 1870, the newly named Cahuenga Valley, was a flourishing agricultural community. Then came the wealthy landowners and bankers. They saw the groves of citrus trees and farmland as a prime location. They wanted to build their own city within the boundaries of modern day Los Angeles, otherwise known as El Pueblo de Nuestra Señora la Reina de los Ángeles de Porciúncula.

The tracks of land subdivided by Whitney and the original developers of Hollywood.

Hobart Johnstone Whitley (HG to his friends or the history books or whatever) a land speculator who recently developed  parts of Oklahoma, purchased the 500-acre ranch from E.C. Hurd (Eli to his friends) in the 1880s. He set to work developing the infrastructure and subdividing the land and by 1902, Hollywood was born. It was incorporated  as a city in 1903 and by 1915 the nascent film industry put down roots. HG Whitley was credited as and historically named “The Father of Hollywood.”

HG Whitley “The Father of Hollywood” with his second wife and children.

Like most cities developed by rich people from the East Coast, Los Angeles and Hollywood grew fast. Hollywood grew up so fast that it was annexed by Los Angeles in 1910 to include it in the water and sewer system. The film industry flooded here because of the warm weather and the diverse filming landscape. Studios popped up everywhere. The industry thrived under the studio system, at the expense of a lot of aspiring actors. Movie palaces sprung up not just in Hollywood, but all across the United States. This gave a bit of happiness to people suffering under the Great Depression.

It wasn’t just the movie industry that thrived in Hollywood. The music industry also made Hollywood its home. In fact, Hollywood became the center of not just movies, tv and music, but also porn, cults and drug abuse.

Unfortunately, as years have gone by, Hollywood has lost its sheen. This is the result of End-Stage Capitalism and the relentless pursuit of profit over people. The Streamers are wringing every last dime out of the entertainment industry. The tech bros are fancying themselves Hollywood taste makers (ahem, Bezos). It’s not just the industry that is crumbling, it’s the neighborhood itself. Developers are fighting with the Los Angeles Preservation Society and the Art Deco Society are doing what they can, but the developers and Private Equity seem to be getting their way.

The Hollywood Center Motel, built in 1901, now stands vacant today. Maybe someone will revive this historic place.

Every day I walk past vacant lots, trap houses and seemingly abandoned buildings. This is not an unusual thing in most cities. What is heartbreaking  to me is the history that is just rotting on the streets of Hollywood. This is the most famous neighborhood in the world. It is my goal to show the world the beauty and decay of my home. Fallen Hollywood is a labor of love for me. As I learned more and more about  my adopted home, I knew I wanted to share what I have learned and what I want to investigate.

If they can erase the history here, they can and will erase it everywhere.