Arthur Letts
Encyclopedia
Arthur Letts, Sr. was the underfunded immigrant from England
who made his name, fortune, and mark in Los Angeles, California
in the early years of the 20th century. Arthur Letts built his wealth by transforming a small, bankrupt dry goods
store in Downtown Los Angeles
into the prominent The Broadway
department store, later adding the Bullocks store.
. In 1882 he emigrated to Toronto, Canada, and found employment in a large dry goods store. When the Red River Rebellion
broke out in the Northwest of Canada, he volunteered. He was awarded a silver medal
and clasp for distinguished service, and a grant of land by the Canadian government. In the early 1890s he emigrated to the United States
in Seattle, Washington
and began retail employment in dry goods
.
business district, the J. A. Williams & Co. Dry Goods Store had gone bankrupt. With the help of an influential friend, who was impressed with Letts’ knowledge of that type of business, a loan of $5000 was secured from the Los Angeles National Bank
, and opened his business on February 24, 1896. He named the department store
The Broadway
,
department store, and put John Bullock from his The Broadway to direct this store. After Letts' death, Bullock and a group of investors purchased the store from the estate.
. His master plan for the prime land he had purchased in western Los Angeles
. was to create a mixed development of retail, apartments, residences, estates, and significant university. He personally christened the developments Westwood and "Holmby Hills," the latter loosely derived from the name of his birthplace, a small village in England
called Holdenby
. Arthur Letts Sr. died suddenly in 1923, before he could realize his vision.
, the Knights Templar
, the prestigious California Club
in Downtown Los Angeles
, the Los Angeles Athletic Club
, the elite Los Angeles Country Club
, and the Midwick Country Club in Alhambra
in the San Gabriel Valley
. He was also a member of the Nationally exclusive Bohemian Club
on the Russian River
in Sonoma County
of Northern California
. He was involved with the Los Angeles Chamber of Commerce
, the Realty Board, the Hollywood Board of Trade, the Federation Club, and the Automobile Club of Southern California
. Letts was vice-president of the Boy Scouts of America
, and leader of his local troop.
, Canada
. They had three children; Florence Edna, Gladys (Janss), and Arthur Letts Jr. He was a skilled horticulturist and avid plant collector. The grounds of his Los Feliz district
, Hollywood estate Holmby House were formally laid out with wide variety of trees, shrubs, and flowers, and his cactus
collection was known across the country. It was bound by Franklin Avenue, Vermont Avenue, Loa Feliz Boulevard, and Laughlin Park. The gardens were open to the public for tours, with the Pacific Electric Railway
stopping at it. It was his wish that the gardens be continued even after his death. Upon his death, his wife, at the suggestion of son-in-law Harold Janss of Janss Investment Company
(who lived at the back of the property), demolished the gardens and mansion
in 1927 to subdivide and develop the land, and moved on to the Wolfskill Ranch and Westwood project. Henry E. Huntington
purchased many of the rare specimen cacti for his Huntington Desert Garden
at his estate and Huntington Library in San Marino
. He and Harold Janss took over the Westwood project after his father's death in 1923. His estate is now the Playboy Mansion
of Hugh Hefner
.
connecting the two families. The Janss Investment Company
continued developing planned communities across greater Los Angeles into the 1960s.
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
who made his name, fortune, and mark in Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
in the early years of the 20th century. Arthur Letts built his wealth by transforming a small, bankrupt dry goods
Dry goods
Dry goods are products such as textiles, ready-to-wear clothing, and sundries. In U.S. retailing, a dry goods store carries consumer goods that are distinct from those carried by hardware stores and grocery stores, though "dry goods" as a term for textiles has been dated back to 1742 in England or...
store in Downtown Los Angeles
Downtown Los Angeles
Downtown Los Angeles is the central business district of Los Angeles, California, United States, located close to the geographic center of the metropolitan area...
into the prominent The Broadway
The Broadway
The Broadway was a mid-level department store chain headquartered in Los Angeles, California, United States of America. Founded in 1896 by English born Arthur Letts, Sr., who later went on to develop Holmby Hills, The Broadway became one of the dominant retailers in Southern California and the...
department store, later adding the Bullocks store.
Early years
Arthur Letts, Sr. was born in EnglandEngland
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. In 1882 he emigrated to Toronto, Canada, and found employment in a large dry goods store. When the Red River Rebellion
Red River Rebellion
The Red River Rebellion or Red River Resistance was the sequence of events related to the 1869 establishment of a provisional government by the Métis leader Louis Riel and his followers at the Red River Settlement, in what is now the Canadian province of Manitoba.The Rebellion was the first crisis...
broke out in the Northwest of Canada, he volunteered. He was awarded a silver medal
Silver medal
A silver medal is a medal awarded to the second place finisher of contests such as the Olympic Games, Commonwealth Games, and contests with similar formats....
and clasp for distinguished service, and a grant of land by the Canadian government. In the early 1890s he emigrated to the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
in Seattle, Washington
Seattle, Washington
Seattle is the county seat of King County, Washington. With 608,660 residents as of the 2010 Census, Seattle is the largest city in the Northwestern United States. The Seattle metropolitan area of about 3.4 million inhabitants is the 15th largest metropolitan area in the country...
and began retail employment in dry goods
Dry goods
Dry goods are products such as textiles, ready-to-wear clothing, and sundries. In U.S. retailing, a dry goods store carries consumer goods that are distinct from those carried by hardware stores and grocery stores, though "dry goods" as a term for textiles has been dated back to 1742 in England or...
.
The Broadway
Letts arrived in the Los Angeles, California area in 1896. At the corner of Fourth and Broadway, then on the far southern edge of the downtown Los AngelesDowntown Los Angeles
Downtown Los Angeles is the central business district of Los Angeles, California, United States, located close to the geographic center of the metropolitan area...
business district, the J. A. Williams & Co. Dry Goods Store had gone bankrupt. With the help of an influential friend, who was impressed with Letts’ knowledge of that type of business, a loan of $5000 was secured from the Los Angeles National Bank
Los Angeles National Bank
Los Angeles National Bank is an overseas Chinese bank in the United States. Headquartered in Buena Park, California, with branch offices in Silver Lake, Los Angeles and Monterey Park, this privately-held community bank was first established on December 18, 1973.In contrast to other traditional...
, and opened his business on February 24, 1896. He named the department store
Department store
A department store is a retail establishment which satisfies a wide range of the consumer's personal and residential durable goods product needs; and at the same time offering the consumer a choice of multiple merchandise lines, at variable price points, in all product categories...
The Broadway
The Broadway
The Broadway was a mid-level department store chain headquartered in Los Angeles, California, United States of America. Founded in 1896 by English born Arthur Letts, Sr., who later went on to develop Holmby Hills, The Broadway became one of the dominant retailers in Southern California and the...
,
Bullock's Department Store
Arthur Letts was the 'behind the scenes' financial founder and owner of Bullock'sBullock's
Bullock's was a department store based in Los Angeles, California. The company operated full-line department stores all across California, with some stores in Arizona and Nevada. Bullock's also operated the more upscale Bullocks Wilshire in parts of Southern California.- History :Bullock's was...
department store, and put John Bullock from his The Broadway to direct this store. After Letts' death, Bullock and a group of investors purchased the store from the estate.
Westwood, UCLA, and Holmby Hills
The development of Westwood, Holmby Hills, and UCLA began in 1919 when Arthur Letts, Sr purchased a 400 acres (1.6 km²) portion of the Wolfskill Ranch, originally the Mexican land grant Rancho San Jose de Buenos AyresRancho San Jose de Buenos Ayres
Rancho San Jose de Buenos Ayres was a Mexican land grant in present day Los Angeles County, California given by Governor Micheltorena in 1843 to Maximo Alanis. The area that was given to Alanis now occupies Westwood, UCLA, Holmby Hills, and Bel Air, Los Angeles...
. His master plan for the prime land he had purchased in western Los Angeles
West Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California
West Los Angeles is a district in Los Angeles, California, within a larger region known as the "Westside."-Geography and transportation:...
. was to create a mixed development of retail, apartments, residences, estates, and significant university. He personally christened the developments Westwood and "Holmby Hills," the latter loosely derived from the name of his birthplace, a small village in England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
called Holdenby
Holdenby
Holdenby is a village and civil parish about north-west of Northampton in Northamptonshire.The Church of England parish church of All Saints, Holdenby dates from the 14th century...
. Arthur Letts Sr. died suddenly in 1923, before he could realize his vision.
Community
Letts joined a number of organizations. He was member of the Hollywood Masonic LodgeMasonry
Masonry is the building of structures from individual units laid in and bound together by mortar; the term masonry can also refer to the units themselves. The common materials of masonry construction are brick, stone, marble, granite, travertine, limestone; concrete block, glass block, stucco, and...
, the Knights Templar
Knights Templar
The Poor Fellow-Soldiers of Christ and of the Temple of Solomon , commonly known as the Knights Templar, the Order of the Temple or simply as Templars, were among the most famous of the Western Christian military orders...
, the prestigious California Club
California Club
The California Club is a private social club established in 1888 in downtown Los Angeles, the oldest such club in Southern California. Its building was erected in 1929 and 1930 and was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2010.- History :...
in Downtown Los Angeles
Downtown Los Angeles
Downtown Los Angeles is the central business district of Los Angeles, California, United States, located close to the geographic center of the metropolitan area...
, the Los Angeles Athletic Club
Los Angeles Athletic Club
Los Angeles Athletic Club is an athletic club and private social club in Los Angeles, California, USA. It awards the John R. Wooden Award to the outstanding men's and women's college basketball player of each year....
, the elite Los Angeles Country Club
Los Angeles Country Club
The Los Angeles Country Club is a golf and country club in Los Angeles, California.- History :In the fall of 1897, a group of Los Angelenos organized a voluntary association to further the cause of one of Southern California's newest sports...
, and the Midwick Country Club in Alhambra
Alhambra, California
Alhambra is a city located in the western San Gabriel Valley region of Los Angeles County, California, United States, which is approximately eight miles from the Downtown Los Angeles civic center. As of the 2010 census, the population was 83,089, down from 85,804 at the 2000 census. The city's...
in the San Gabriel Valley
San Gabriel Valley
The San Gabriel Valley is one of the principal valleys of Southern California, United States. It lies to the east of Los Angeles, to the north of the Puente Hills, to the south of the San Gabriel Mountains, and west of the Inland Empire. It derives its name from the San Gabriel River that flows...
. He was also a member of the Nationally exclusive Bohemian Club
Bohemian Club
The Bohemian Club is a private men's club in San Francisco, California, United States.Its clubhouse is located at 624 Taylor Street in San Francisco...
on the Russian River
Russian River
Russian River may refer to one of the following rivers in the United States:* Russian River * Russian River Russian River may also refer to a brewpub in Santa Rosa, California:* Russian River Brewing Company...
in Sonoma County
Sonoma County, California
Sonoma County, located on the northern coast of the U.S. state of California, is the largest and northernmost of the nine San Francisco Bay Area counties. Its population at the 2010 census was 483,878. Its largest city and county seat is Santa Rosa....
of Northern California
Northern California
Northern California is the northern portion of the U.S. state of California. The San Francisco Bay Area , and Sacramento as well as its metropolitan area are the main population centers...
. He was involved with the Los Angeles Chamber of Commerce
Chamber of commerce
A chamber of commerce is a form of business network, e.g., a local organization of businesses whose goal is to further the interests of businesses. Business owners in towns and cities form these local societies to advocate on behalf of the business community...
, the Realty Board, the Hollywood Board of Trade, the Federation Club, and the Automobile Club of Southern California
Automobile Club of Southern California
The Automobile Club of Southern California is the Southern California affiliate of the American Automobile Association federation of motor clubs...
. Letts was vice-president of the Boy Scouts of America
Boy Scouts of America
The Boy Scouts of America is one of the largest youth organizations in the United States, with over 4.5 million youth members in its age-related divisions...
, and leader of his local troop.
Family life
Letts married Florence Philp on August 25, 1886 in TorontoToronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. They had three children; Florence Edna, Gladys (Janss), and Arthur Letts Jr. He was a skilled horticulturist and avid plant collector. The grounds of his Los Feliz district
Los Feliz, Los Angeles, California
Los Feliz, also Rancho Los Feliz is an affluent, hilly neighborhood in the Hollywood district of Los Angeles, California, named after its land grantee José Vicente Feliz....
, Hollywood estate Holmby House were formally laid out with wide variety of trees, shrubs, and flowers, and his cactus
Cactus
A cactus is a member of the plant family Cactaceae. Their distinctive appearance is a result of adaptations to conserve water in dry and/or hot environments. In most species, the stem has evolved to become photosynthetic and succulent, while the leaves have evolved into spines...
collection was known across the country. It was bound by Franklin Avenue, Vermont Avenue, Loa Feliz Boulevard, and Laughlin Park. The gardens were open to the public for tours, with the Pacific Electric Railway
Pacific Electric Railway
The Pacific Electric Railway , also known as the Red Car system, was a mass transit system in Southern California using streetcars, light rail, and buses...
stopping at it. It was his wish that the gardens be continued even after his death. Upon his death, his wife, at the suggestion of son-in-law Harold Janss of Janss Investment Company
Janss Investment Company
The Janss Investment Company was a family run, Los Angeles, California, real estate development company that operated from 1895 to 1995.-First generation:...
(who lived at the back of the property), demolished the gardens and mansion
Mansion
A mansion is a very large dwelling house. U.S. real estate brokers define a mansion as a dwelling of over . A traditional European mansion was defined as a house which contained a ballroom and tens of bedrooms...
in 1927 to subdivide and develop the land, and moved on to the Wolfskill Ranch and Westwood project. Henry E. Huntington
Henry E. Huntington
Henry Edwards Huntington was a railroad magnate and collector of art and rare books. Born in Oneonta, New York, Huntington settled in Los Angeles, where he owned the Pacific Electric Railway as well as substantial real estate interests...
purchased many of the rare specimen cacti for his Huntington Desert Garden
Huntington Desert Garden
The Huntington Desert Garden is part of The Huntington Library, Art Collections and Botanical Gardens in San Marino, California. The Desert Garden is one of the world's largest and oldest collections of cacti, succulents and other desert plants, collected from throughout the world. It contains...
at his estate and Huntington Library in San Marino
San Marino, California
San Marino is a small, affluent city in Los Angeles County, California. Incorporated in 1913, the City founders designed the community to be uniquely residential, with expansive properties surrounded by beautiful gardens, wide streets, and well maintained parkways...
Arthur Letts, Jr.
In 1927 Arthur Letts, Jr. built a Tudor-style home at Charing Cross Road on the Los Angeles Country ClubCountry club
A country club is a private club, often with a closed membership, that typically offers a variety of recreational sports facilities and is located in city outskirts or rural areas. Activities may include, for example, any of golf, tennis, swimming or polo...
. He and Harold Janss took over the Westwood project after his father's death in 1923. His estate is now the Playboy Mansion
Playboy Mansion
The Playboy Mansion is the home of Playboy magazine founder Hugh Hefner. Located in the Holmby Hills area of Los Angeles, California, the mansion became famous during the 1970s through media reports of Hefner's lavish parties.-History:The house is described as being in the "Gothic-Tudor" style...
of Hugh Hefner
Hugh Hefner
Hugh Marston "Hef" Hefner is an American magazine publisher, founder and Chief Creative Officer of Playboy Enterprises.-Early life:...
.
Harold Janss
In 1911 Arthur Letts Sr.'s daughter Gladys married Harold JanssJanss Investment Company
The Janss Investment Company was a family run, Los Angeles, California, real estate development company that operated from 1895 to 1995.-First generation:...
connecting the two families. The Janss Investment Company
Janss Investment Company
The Janss Investment Company was a family run, Los Angeles, California, real estate development company that operated from 1895 to 1995.-First generation:...
continued developing planned communities across greater Los Angeles into the 1960s.