Hollywood, the movie town and a symbol of dreams and glamour has a rather unassuming beginning, wouldn’t you say so? The origin of Hollywood is quite close to our conception; it is not a tale of melanosome raspberry and the ascendancy of the silver entertainment industry- but a story of an unfamiliar face, a couple’s dream, and a hint of fate in the late eighteenth century.
The Wilcox Connection: A Vision for a New Beginning
Harvey Henderson Wilcox a Kansas businessman and his wife Daeida decided to move to California in 1886 with hopes of changing their fortune. The couple decided to buy 120 acres of apricot and Fig planting in Cahuenga Poss at a cash price of $150 per acre. Of course they were well off but their business of investing in real estate was not to grow fruits, it was make something out of something or more out of nothing. This man of business as Harvey was soon saw how the data could be subdivided into lots and sold to a fee of $1000 per lot.
This was the right place for something new, and Wilcoxes were willing to build their share of California. Ironically, the basis of the name that would one day encompass the whole of the entertainment industry would be formed during a train ride.
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A Serendipitous Train Ride: The Birth of ‘Hollywood’
The idea for building the first colony was conceived during the summer of 1886, when Daeida Wilcox was traveling by train to Ohio and met a man who was to become a fellow patron, a man who owned a big estate in Illinois. It is interesting that the name of the estate was called “Hollywood.” But more than anything else, a name caught Daeida’s fancy—the name became so appealing that she persuaded her husband to call the new land California.
That is how the name came about not from a big picture of movie making or glamorous nights but from a discussion on a train ride which shaped the history of this movie town. On February 1, 1887, Harvey Wilcox platted the land and recorded an initial subdivision map in the Los Angeles County recorder’s office, naming their tract Hollywood.
Breaking the California Holly Myth
A Brief History Of What Hollywood Was Named After
Earlier for many decades, it was assumed that Hollywood evolved its name from the Toyon shrub popularly called California holly, which is abundantly found in this area and bears very attractive red berries. Although the shrub has long been growing in the area it has very little to do with the origin of the name.
But for the name of the organization, it was birthed from a single but deep thought: No, Hollywood wasn’t named for the holly trees; it came about through some conversation and a man and woman who wanted a new life together. It is a signal to me to remind me that the foundations of something great, do not begin where we set them to, but where life takes, chance and imagination lead.
Hollywood’s Natural Neighbor
Cove Alley was not the actual inspiration for the name Toyon but the latter has quite an interesting history in the Hollywood region. Here are a few fun facts about the plant:
Toyon is the only California native plant commonly known by Native American name.
The plant can reach the height of a tree, up to twenty feet, so it is decent plant for the hills of California.
It fits into a native ecosystem in the sense that it attracts native pollinators and sustains other bird populations with food.
The Angelus was justified in 2012 by the Los Angeles City Council with the cordial title of “native plant” bestowed on Toyon. Even though this is not why This movie town was given its name in the first place, it is a good bonus that connects Hollywood’s natural beauty with its history.
Different Theories for naming it.
There exist to date, several theories concerning the origin of the name Hollywood with most of them resulting from rivalry. Others credit this to H.J. Whitley, a real estate businessman who was instrumental in bringing development to Hollywood. Some point to a link to a witch called Holly Cannon, and another goes as far as having a whimsical tale of a wood-hauling wagon driver with a thick accent who got it wrong thinking it was Hollywood.
As much as possible, still, the fact is openly stated that thanks to the vision of the Wilcoxes brought about by the meeting, the name Hollywood in its present form was created.
it’s Legacy:
When we look at division four of this great company, it has grown from a subdivision to a global icon.
This seemingly started with a purpose of subdividing land meant for residential use only but eventually grew into a more massive structure. This land was sold, built, and developed having the movie industry being part of it through it making it a symbol of dreams, creativity and the magic screen.
Nowadays it is associated with stars, films, and red carpet while, Hollywood originally meant emerging to prominence, coming to fame, or simply a celebrity. Yet the name that today epitomizes the entertainment industry was created by two lovers, and a flash of inspiration during a train trip over a hundred years ago.
Hollywood: That is one way to look at the monument and that is why it symbolizes imagination, people’s dreams.
It might therefore come as a surprise to many that This movie town fame did not come easily. The dream of a small land development company has turned into the life and pulse of the world’s entertainment system. ’It isn’t just a place that you’re aware of, but in a way, Hollywood signifies dream, creativity, inspiration, and the human ability to convey it.
The Gone and Still Continuing Phenomenon
While modern Hollywood has become the center of world film production and students of Hollywood’s early history can now see some of the world’s largest studios and biggest movie stars in its vicinity, the experience of watching this film is enlivened by the understanding of Hollywood’s early stages as a tale of ultimate rags to riches. Sometimes it is enough of a name, a name that comes from chance, imagination, and a dream. Sometimes that name may define the future in ways unseen by anyone at all.
Conclusion
Therefore, the early history of contemporary Hollywood is a narrative that could be characterized as a combination of accident and foresight. From a single meeting on a train to buying a piece of land that can be silent today, the name of this place evolved into something far beyond anyone could have thought. Today it still personifies the dynamics of creativity, dreams, and cinematic miracles in the world thanks to a name that has evolved through chance and creativity.
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