The History Of North Hollywood :

Uncovering North Hollywood: From Ranch Lands to a Creative Hub

Long before it became a buzzing neighborhood known for its artsy flair and NoHo Arts District, North Hollywood had its roots in California’s agricultural heartland.

Originally part of the vast holdings of Mission San Fernando Rey de España, the land was redistributed during Mexico's rule. A group of investors, led by Northern California rancher Isaac Lankershim, saw opportunity in the Valley’s wild terrain. Lankershim envisioned a sheep ranch, but his son James Boon Lankershim and future son-in-law Isaac Newton Van Nuys had even bigger plans.

In the early 1870s, they moved to the Valley, believing it could become a wheat-growing powerhouse using dryland farming techniques. And they were right—the area eventually became home to the world’s largest wheat empire, run under the name Los Angeles Farming and Milling Company.

By 1887, James Boon Lankershim and eight fellow developers purchased 12,000 acres north of the Cahuenga Pass and formed the Lankershim Ranch Land and Water Company. They laid out a new townsite, first called Toluca, which was renamed Lankershim in 1896, and finally became North Hollywood in 1927—an effort to attract new residents by capitalizing on the glamour of nearby Hollywood.

Early settlers were offered small farms planted with hardy fruit and nut trees—peaches, pears, apricots, and walnuts—that could thrive in the Valley's dry summers thanks to a high water table along the Tujunga Wash.

Today, North Hollywood blends its agricultural past with a vibrant arts scene, unique theaters, street murals, and indie cafes. It’s a neighborhood that has reinvented itself over and over—and still welcomes dreamers, creators, and explorers alike.