HOLLYWOOD HISTORY
Hollywood street name origins
Santa Monica Blvd. in 1906, looking west from Western Avenue
By Allan R. Ellenberger
Have you ever wondered the origin of many of the street names in the neighborhood that you travel on daily? In many towns and cities the names date back to its beginning; the same is true of Hollywood. However, you won’t see a Chaplin Avenue, Garbo Street or Garland Way here. Hollywood street names originated before the movies came to Tinseltown with the founding fathers. Though you may not recognize many or any of the names, here is a list of Hollywood streets and their namesakes:
Ambrose Street — Ambrose Gregory, rancher
Barton Avenue — Barton Jones, grandson of Cornelius Cole
Beachwood Drive — Albert Beach, subdivider
Bronson Avenue — Marcus Alonzo Bronson, realtor
Cahuenga Avenue — Cahuenga Indians
Carlton Way — Carlton Warner, son of subdivider
Carmen Avenue — Carmen Lopez, son of Pres. Lopez, rancher
Cole Avenue, Cole Place — Senator Cornelius Cole
De Longpre Avenue — Paul De Longpre, artist
El Centro Avenue — Center of Cole Ranch
Eleanor Street — Eleanor Cole, daughter of Seward Cole
Eulalia Street — Mrs. Eulalia Grass
Finley Avenue — Rev. Finley, Methodist minister
Gardner Street — Dr. Alan Gardner
Gower Street — George T. Gower, rancher
Gregory Street — Ambrose Gregory, rancher
Harold Way — Harold Warner, son of subdivider
Havenhurst Avenue — W. H. Hay
Highland Avenue — Highland Price, wife of Walter Price, the blacksmith
Hudson Avenue — Thomas Hudson, rancher
Ivar Avenue — Ivar Weid, owner of Weid Ranch
Lodi Place — Lodi, New York; birthplace of Cornelius Cole
McCadden Place — W. C. McCadden, subdivider
Melrose Avenue — E. A. Melrose, rancher
Nichols Canyon — Mr. Nichols, rancher
Ogden Drive — Mary B. Ogden, pioneer
Santa Monica Blvd. — Road leading to Santa Monica
Selma Avenue — Selma Weid, daughter of Ivar Weid
Seward Street — Seward Cole, son of Cornelius Cole
Sunset Blvd. — Road leading to ocean and sunset
Taft Avenue — B. Y. Taft, developer and realtor
Townsend Street — Maiden name of Cornelius Cole’s mother
Vine Street — Through Cornelius Cole’s vineyard
Waring Avenue — Capt. Howard Waring, son-in-law of Cornelius Cole
Whitley Avenue — H. J. Whitley, subdivider
Wilcox Avenue — Harvey H. Wilcox, founder of Hollywood
Willoughby Street — Willoughby Cole, son of Cornelius Cole
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Tags: Hollywood, street names
I like to know what is the history behind
Fuller Avenue and Martel ave?
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I’LL SEE IF I CAN FIND OUT. THANKS.
I would like to know the origins of Belfast Drive and Londonderry Place. Both names of cities in Northern Ireland?
Gregory and Willoughby are both avenues.
How about Higman Ave, one block long.
Thanks for letting me know. Never knew it was there.
I’m looking for “Haines Ln” located in the Hollywood Hills, I know I saw it on a map many years ago. It was named after my Great Uncle Jefferson Houseworth aka Clarence Brown aka James Haines (Legal Name Change) and other names that I forget. I was hoping that someone might be able to help me locate Haines Lane or may have some information about him. Haines Lane was named after him as he owned the property located in the Hollywood Hills that he would eventually sell to a developer. Born Jefferson Houseworth in 1896 he left his home and family in Illinois at age 13, (1909) hopped a freight train to California and would later work for Mr. Walt Disney as an animator. He was a wonderful artist, I believe he also worked for Hal Roach Studios, Charlie Champlin Studios, and MGM. I know he wrote a couple of books, one that included information about Mary Pickford and Douglas Fairbanks and other stars of that era. However, I’m not sure of the pseudonym he used. in the 2nd or perhaps the 3rd chapter of his life he became heavily involved with the Solar Power industry. He passed away in 1985 at the age of 89.
I know that Highland was named after Highland Price, supposedly by her friend/neighbor Mary Moll, but can you verify that that well known photo of her home/barn was definitely located near her strawberry farm on Prospect near Highland? I see lots of info that that’s correct but the LA Public library captions the photo as being on Prospect near Western. Any definitive proof that it was indeed located near Highland? I also saw a 1905 photo looking southeest from above Franklin that looks like the home with its windmill and water tower but it seems far west, just west of where the Roosevelt Hotel is today. Any definite word would be great. Thanks!
Hi Gary, let me see what I can research and I’ll get back to you. Thanks for the interest.
Allan
Hi Allan
I have since confirmed that Mary Moll’s original barn/house was near (or possibly directly on) where Highland Ave was built. That windmill that I saw in the 1905 photo was not her home. In fact, in that photo you can see her new house…a huge 2 story, craftsman home on the southwest corner of Prospect Ave and Orange! (exactly where the Roosevelt Hotel is today) There you go! (although I still want to see one other photo of the original Moll barn to see exactly where on Prospect it was!)
Another street question tho: do you know what street Lemona Ave became? I think it’s Wilton (but it might have been Whitley…except I know that he named it Pine St!)
Thanks!
Gary
Hi Gary, thanks for the great info about Mary Moll. I want to do an article about her. I’ll check on Lemona. The name is familiar. Thanks.
Allan! This is incredible!
Can I ask you about what you know of, or can find out about Queens and Kings Rd.?
Or any of the other streets up in Hollywood Hills West?
Thanks!
I’m really curious about how Cherokee Avenue got its name. I lived on Cherokee Avenue in Hollywood and on the Cherokee Avenue in San Diego as well. Can you provide any insight? Thank you.
Hi Allen , I find out recently that I had a great uncle who was a developer in The hollywood area. Of corse I have no family history on this . his name was Auto Beck . I’ve looked on the internet for any history to this being true but can’t seem to find any. I know there is a street named Beck but know nothing else . It would be interesting to see if there’s any thing on him and what he may have been involved with . Thank you so much Bill
Sorry, never heard the reason for the change to Cherokee. Interesting to know. Thanks.
There is also a trailhead near the Lake Hollywood Reservoir outside of Griffith Park, and although not an access point in itself, there is a popular scenic vista point around Lake Hollywood Park near the trailhead. The sign was erected in 1923 and originally read “HOLLYWOODLAND”. Its purpose was to advertise the name of a new segregated housing development in the hills above the Hollywood district of Los Angeles.