Harvey Henderson Wilcox

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Harvey Henderson Wilcox (1832 - March 19, 1891) was a wheelchair-bound Californian farmer and prohibitionist, who became famous because of his ranch to the west of the city of Los Angeles, which his wife Daeida named Hollywood, and where the now famous center of the US cinema industry developed in the early 1900s.

1 Biography
2 Hollywoodland
3 Death
4 See also
5 External link

[edit] Biography

Wilcox was born in New York State, the son of Aaron and Azubah Wilcox, and grew up in Lenawee County, Michigan. He was apprenticed to a shoemaker in the late 1840s. During the 1850s he moved from Bryan, Ohio to Topeka, Kansas where he and his wife, sold real estate and operated a boarding house. He later served on the Topeka City Council and as clerk in 1877-1879.

In about 1883 Wilcox came to Los Angeles; ultimately founding Hollywood in 1888. He had made his fortune in the real estate business despite having completely lost the use of his legs due to typhoid fever. Wilcox purchased three tracts of land in Los Angeles and subdivided them. Much of the University District was built up through his efforts. Mrs. Wilcox was his constant advisor. Their only child passed away at age of 19 months and to solace themselves the Wilcoxes took long drives on Sunday afternoons. One of their favorite trips was out through the beautiful Cahuenga Valley. A certain fig and apricot orchard, centering at Hollywood Boulevard and Cahuenga Avenue was especially admired by them and they purchased it. Shortly thereafter Mrs. Wilcox had to return east, and while on the train she became acquainted with a wealthy lady who often spoke of her country home named "Hollywood." The name pleased Mrs. Wilcox and when she returned to Los Angles she so named her country place.

[edit] Hollywoodland

The city of Hollywood was incorporated in 1903. In 1910, the city of Hollywood was incorporated into the city of Los Angeles because the former was in need of a water supply. Hollywood became a suburb of Los Angeles at that time.

Though it is commonly thought that Wilcox named the subdivision "Hollywoodland", it wasn't until 1923 that real estate developers Woodruff and Shoults decide to build a housing development in Beachwood Canyon above Hollywood. They call their development "Hollywoodland" and advertise it as a "superb environment without excessive cost on the Hollywood side of the hills."

In 1924, they contract the Crescent Sign Company to erected the huge sign on the hillside reading Hollywoodland. The sign company owner Thomas Fisk Goff (1890-1984) designed the sign in letters 50 feet high and illuminated by 4,000 bulbs. The lightbulbs lasted only until they burned out or stolen a year or two later and were never replaced.

In 1949 the sign was refurbished and the end of the word Land was omitted.

In 1978, the sign was fully rebuilt with sheet metal and steel beams and has been repainted and repaired regularly to this day.

The sign is a national monument.

[edit] Death

Wilcox died in Hollywood, and was buried alongside his mother, Azubah (Mark) Wilcox, and sister, Sarah (Wilcox) Luke, in Rosedale Cemetery. On November 13, 1922 his remains were re-buried in the Hollywood Memorial Park Cemetery, today named the Hollywood Forever Cemetery.