Holt Dairy, Studio City

A Brief History of the Land

W.L. Holt was recruited by William Paul Whitsett to run a dairy in Tract 1000. Amongst other things, W.P. Whitsett essentially sold the Van Nuys Township in 1911. He stayed in the area, initially living on South Sherman (Van Nuys Boulevard) and made it one of his missions (other than water) to bring viable industries to the Van Nuys and surrounding area. He recruited Holt, known as the father of the Imperial Valley, to operate a dairy. How soon this occurred after 1911 is presently unknown. By May 24, 1917 Holt obtained permits for a 27 by 40.5 foot residence 1/3 mile South of Ventura Boulevard roughly where the Harvard Westlake school is now. May 6, 1918 Holt obtained a permit to build the same house while noting it was part of his 348 acres. Most likely, he did not start in 1917 and had to obtain a new permit. The following permits were then obtained by Holt:

• 9-18-18 a milking barn 36 by 225 feet, 14 feet high
• 12-3-18 a 100 by 100 hay barn
• 4-11-19 a 12 by 100 manure pit
• 7-9-19 a 40 foot high silo 20 feet by 40 feet

By 11-12-19, a permit for a 16 by 24, "Rustic S ? [might have been a bathroom]" building the farm's address was noted as being 12800 Ventura Boulevard. This approximate address may have been a dirt road into the property. Diaz Canyon (Coldwater) did not go through and pass Ventura Boulevard at the time. The boundaries of Tract 1111, Holt's land, extended West of present day Coldwater.

In Whitsett's self-published biography, it is reported that Whitsett pictured to Holt how Holstein cows would look under the shade of the wild walnut trees (many were prevalent in the area including on Galewood Street) chewing their cud. Incidentally, around this time other early residents along Riverside Drive started dairies of Gurnsey cows which is why an area of Valley Village is still referred to as Gurnsey.

Holt's considerable dairy operation extended onto Ventura Boulevard. He planted ensilage corn that rose almost 20 feet high facing Ventura Boulevard. When the cows put their noses on bowls, fresh water was released. This was a modern dairy concept. Whitsett reported that Holt disposed of his dairy because winter rains turned the pastures into mud. The soil in the area is clay and does become quite sticky when it rains. However, Holt had already made fortunes in several cities and so it might just be he did not want to stick around this rural area that was not yet called Studio City. April 29, 1920 there is a permit for a new owner (Blinkion) to tear down and rebuild the hay barn and add a 50 by 150 addition. However, April 9, 1920 a permit was pulled to build a repair shop for the Hollywood Hills Country Club using 11 tons of refined steel.

It is believed that John H. Blair conceived of the land becoming the Hollywood Hills Country Club. By May 11, 1922 there were permits for a storage building for the Hollywood Hills Country Club whose address at that time was identified as 12800 Ventura Boulevard.

12808 Ventura Boulevard, identified as between Goodland and Alcove, had a gas station by 1950, but it is believed in the 1920s (more research to come).

Today, the Petco shopping center is located at 12800 Ventura Boulevard

12842 Ventura Boulevard is a Ralphs market (former Hughes where the Hughes actually worked).

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