Harry Culver
Encyclopedia
Harry Hazel Culver was a real estate developer and promoter. He was born in Milford, Nebraska
, the middle child of five of Jacob H. and Ada L. (Davison) Culver, who lived on a farm
. At age 18, he enlisted in the Spanish-American War
and served as a corporal
and sergeant
, respectively. After attending liberal arts college Doane College
for a year, Culver studied business at the University of Nebraska for 3 years. From 1901 to about 1904, he worked in the Philippines
in the mercantile business and as a reporter for the Manila Times
and special customs agent. While in Manila
he was married to Miss Eunice Richardson of Lincoln, Nebraska
. He began working in real estate in Southern California
in 1910 for I.N. Van Nuys.
In 1913, in a speech at the California Club
in Los Angeles
Culver announced his plans for what was to become Culver City. Local voters rejected the land's annexation to LA in 1914, whereupon Culver founded the Culver Investment Company. Supported by a 59-0 vote, Culver City became incorporated on September 20, 1917 with a population of 530. Also once the president of the California Association of Realtors, Culver served as president of the National Association of Realtors
in 1923. The following year, he moved his offices to the second floor of Hotel Hunt, now named the Culver Hotel
, the building of which he also supported. Culver served locally in elected office and took every opportunity to promote the city, holding events like picnics, leading tours with box lunches, and advertising "All Roads Lead to Culver City". Culver served locally in elected office before his death in Hollywood, California.
moved his film operations to what is now Culver City, and the Triangle Motion Picture Company
(now Sony Pictures Studios
) was founded in 1915 on 10202 W. Washington Blvd. After a disagreement with partners D.W. Griffith and Mack Sennett
that led to his selling out, Ince bought the property down the street on 9336 Washington Blvd. from Culver to form the Thomas H. Ince Studio (now the Culver Studios
, owned by Sony
) in 1918. Hal Roach
, prevented from expanding his facilities by downtown Los Angeles
's zoning
, purchased the property on 8822 Washington Blvd. for the Hal Roach Studios (1919–1962) from Culver. Thus Culver played a vital role in the development of all three of "The Heart of Screenland"'s major movies studios.
. In June 1916, he married actress Lillian Roberts, who died in 1999 at the age of 103. Their daughter and only child, Patricia, was born on August 11, 1917. As Harry gave about 600 speeches a year, the Culver family traveled broadly and often. In honor of his father, Culver founded the Pacific Military Academy. Patricia Culver Battle remained connected to Culver City until her death in 2001. Culver has two grandsons, Dr. John Battle living in Tacoma, Washington
and Chris Wilde in Long Beach, California
.
of Harry Culver, commissioned to artist De L'Esprie with the National Heritage Collectors Society, founded by David L. Spellerberg. The artwork, titled "A Moment in Time," is part of the city's Art in Public Places program. Culver's grandson, Dr. John Battle, and his family participated in the dedication ceremony.
"To sum up, the sort of real estate advertising which is most profitable is the kind which tells the truth about the property in an attractive, interesting and consistent manner."
"Good advertising sells the greatest amount of merchandise, or property, or converts the largest number of people to a given idea. In actual practice it is almost impossible to trace directly the results of any given, or individual advertisement, although in many cases a large number of sales are made in this way."
"How Much To Spend In Advertising. Perhaps the best method of arriving at an advertising appropriation is that of taking a certain percentage of the anticipated sales. This percentage may vary from one to ten per cent, depending on difficulties encountered and resistance to overcome. A fair average would be between three and five per cent of the gross sales."
Milford, Nebraska
Milford is a city in Seward County, Nebraska, United States. It is part of the Lincoln, Nebraska Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 2,070 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Milford is located at ....
, the middle child of five of Jacob H. and Ada L. (Davison) Culver, who lived on a farm
Farm
A farm is an area of land, or, for aquaculture, lake, river or sea, including various structures, devoted primarily to the practice of producing and managing food , fibres and, increasingly, fuel. It is the basic production facility in food production. Farms may be owned and operated by a single...
. At age 18, he enlisted in the Spanish-American War
Spanish-American War
The Spanish–American War was a conflict in 1898 between Spain and the United States, effectively the result of American intervention in the ongoing Cuban War of Independence...
and served as a corporal
Corporal
Corporal is a rank in use in some form by most militaries and by some police forces or other uniformed organizations. It is usually equivalent to NATO Rank Code OR-4....
and sergeant
Sergeant
Sergeant is a rank used in some form by most militaries, police forces, and other uniformed organizations around the world. Its origins are the Latin serviens, "one who serves", through the French term Sergent....
, respectively. After attending liberal arts college Doane College
Doane College
Doane College is a private liberal arts college in Crete, Nebraska, United States, with additional campuses located in Lincoln and Grand Island.-History:...
for a year, Culver studied business at the University of Nebraska for 3 years. From 1901 to about 1904, he worked in the Philippines
Philippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
in the mercantile business and as a reporter for the Manila Times
Manila Times
The Manila Times is the oldest existing English language newspaper in the Philippines. It is published daily by The Manila Times Publishing Corp. with editorial and administrative offices at 371 A...
and special customs agent. While in Manila
Manila
Manila is the capital of the Philippines. It is one of the sixteen cities forming Metro Manila.Manila is located on the eastern shores of Manila Bay and is bordered by Navotas and Caloocan to the north, Quezon City to the northeast, San Juan and Mandaluyong to the east, Makati on the southeast,...
he was married to Miss Eunice Richardson of Lincoln, Nebraska
Lincoln, Nebraska
The City of Lincoln is the capital and the second-most populous city of the US state of Nebraska. Lincoln is also the county seat of Lancaster County and the home of the University of Nebraska. Lincoln's 2010 Census population was 258,379....
. He began working in real estate in Southern California
Southern California
Southern California is a megaregion, or megapolitan area, in the southern area of the U.S. state of California. Large urban areas include Greater Los Angeles and Greater San Diego. The urban area stretches along the coast from Ventura through the Southland and Inland Empire to San Diego...
in 1910 for I.N. Van Nuys.
In 1913, in a speech at the 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 Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
Culver announced his plans for what was to become Culver City. Local voters rejected the land's annexation to LA in 1914, whereupon Culver founded the Culver Investment Company. Supported by a 59-0 vote, Culver City became incorporated on September 20, 1917 with a population of 530. Also once the president of the California Association of Realtors, Culver served as president of the National Association of Realtors
National Association of Realtors
The National Association of Realtors , whose members are known as Realtors, is North America's largest trade association. representing over 1.2 million members , including NAR's institutes, societies, and councils, involved in all aspects of the residential and commercial real estate industries...
in 1923. The following year, he moved his offices to the second floor of Hotel Hunt, now named the Culver Hotel
Culver Hotel
Culver Hotel is a historical landmark situated in downtown Culver City, California. It was built on the site of Culver City's first movie theater on September 4, 1924, with local headlines announcing: "City packed with visitors for opening of Culver skyscraper." Originally named Hotel Hunt, and...
, the building of which he also supported. Culver served locally in elected office and took every opportunity to promote the city, holding events like picnics, leading tours with box lunches, and advertising "All Roads Lead to Culver City". Culver served locally in elected office before his death in Hollywood, California.
The Heart of Screenland
With Culver's encouragement, Thomas InceThomas H. Ince
Thomas Harper Ince was an American silent film actor, director, screenwriter and producer of more than 100 films and pioneering studio mogul. Known as the "Father of the Western", he invented many mechanisms of professional movie production, introducing early Hollywood to the "assembly line"...
moved his film operations to what is now Culver City, and the Triangle Motion Picture Company
Triangle Film Corporation
Triangle Film Corporation was a major American motion-picture studio, founded in the summer of 1915 in Culver City, California, and envisioned as a prestige studio based on the producing abilities of filmmakers D. W. Griffith, Thomas Ince and Mack Sennett...
(now Sony Pictures Studios
Sony Pictures Studios
The Sony Pictures Studios are a television and film studio complex located in Culver City, California at 10202 West Washington Boulevard and bounded by Culver Boulevard , Washington Boulevard , Overland Avenue and Madison Avenue...
) was founded in 1915 on 10202 W. Washington Blvd. After a disagreement with partners D.W. Griffith and Mack Sennett
Mack Sennett
Mack Sennett was a Canadian-born American director and was known as the innovator of slapstick comedy in film. During his lifetime he was known at times as the "King of Comedy"...
that led to his selling out, Ince bought the property down the street on 9336 Washington Blvd. from Culver to form the Thomas H. Ince Studio (now the Culver Studios
Culver Studios
The Culver Studios is a historic Colonial-styled movie studio located at 9336 W. Washington Blvd., in Culver City, California. It was the site of filming for Gone with the Wind, Citizen Kane and other classics from Hollywood’s Golden Age...
, owned by Sony
Sony
, commonly referred to as Sony, is a Japanese multinational conglomerate corporation headquartered in Minato, Tokyo, Japan and the world's fifth largest media conglomerate measured by revenues....
) in 1918. Hal Roach
Hal Roach
Harold Eugene "Hal" Roach, Sr. was an American film and television producer and director, and from the 1910s to the 1990s.- Early life and career :Hal Roach was born in Elmira, New York...
, prevented from expanding his facilities by 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...
's zoning
Zoning
Zoning is a device of land use planning used by local governments in most developed countries. The word is derived from the practice of designating permitted uses of land based on mapped zones which separate one set of land uses from another...
, purchased the property on 8822 Washington Blvd. for the Hal Roach Studios (1919–1962) from Culver. Thus Culver played a vital role in the development of all three of "The Heart of Screenland"'s major movies studios.
Personal life
Culver enjoyed horseback riding, swimming, and playing ice hockeyIce hockey
Ice hockey, often referred to as hockey, is a team sport played on ice, in which skaters use wooden or composite sticks to shoot a hard rubber puck into their opponent's net. The game is played between two teams of six players each. Five members of each team skate up and down the ice trying to take...
. In June 1916, he married actress Lillian Roberts, who died in 1999 at the age of 103. Their daughter and only child, Patricia, was born on August 11, 1917. As Harry gave about 600 speeches a year, the Culver family traveled broadly and often. In honor of his father, Culver founded the Pacific Military Academy. Patricia Culver Battle remained connected to Culver City until her death in 2001. Culver has two grandsons, Dr. John Battle living in Tacoma, Washington
Tacoma, Washington
Tacoma is a mid-sized urban port city and the county seat of Pierce County, Washington, United States. The city is on Washington's Puget Sound, southwest of Seattle, northeast of the state capital, Olympia, and northwest of Mount Rainier National Park. The population was 198,397, according to...
and Chris Wilde in Long Beach, California
Long Beach, California
Long Beach is a city situated in Los Angeles County in Southern California, on the Pacific coast of the United States. The city is the 36th-largest city in the nation and the seventh-largest in California. As of 2010, its population was 462,257...
.
Dedication
On March 26, 2006, Culver City's Cultural Affairs Division with the Culver City Historical Society dedicated a sculptureSculpture
Sculpture is three-dimensional artwork created by shaping or combining hard materials—typically stone such as marble—or metal, glass, or wood. Softer materials can also be used, such as clay, textiles, plastics, polymers and softer metals...
of Harry Culver, commissioned to artist De L'Esprie with the National Heritage Collectors Society, founded by David L. Spellerberg. The artwork, titled "A Moment in Time," is part of the city's Art in Public Places program. Culver's grandson, Dr. John Battle, and his family participated in the dedication ceremony.
Article By Harry H. Culver: Advertising in Real Estate
Harry H. Culver contributed to a book called The Realty Blue Book of California. He speaks about selling real estate including some quotes:"To sum up, the sort of real estate advertising which is most profitable is the kind which tells the truth about the property in an attractive, interesting and consistent manner."
"Good advertising sells the greatest amount of merchandise, or property, or converts the largest number of people to a given idea. In actual practice it is almost impossible to trace directly the results of any given, or individual advertisement, although in many cases a large number of sales are made in this way."
"How Much To Spend In Advertising. Perhaps the best method of arriving at an advertising appropriation is that of taking a certain percentage of the anticipated sales. This percentage may vary from one to ten per cent, depending on difficulties encountered and resistance to overcome. A fair average would be between three and five per cent of the gross sales."