In the 1920s, a new housing development was underway in the hills just above the

Hollywood District of Los Angeles, touted as a superb environment without the excessive cost on the Hollywood side of the hills

by real estate developer H.J. Whitley, a man considered to be the father of Hollywood.

He and his wife named the town while on their honeymoon in 1886.

And what did he want to name his latest real estate development project?

Hollywood Land.

And how was he going to get the word out about it?

A sign, of course. A big sign.

The Crescent Sign Company was commissioned to design and build it.

They were tasked with putting together the 13 letters, each one measuring 30 feet or 9.1 meters

wide and 50 feet or 15.2 meters high to be erected on the hillside facing south.

The owner of the sign company, a gentleman by the name of Thomas Gough designed the sign.

And not only was it going to include around 4,000 bulbs,

the sign was going to flash in three parts,

Holly, Wood, and Leggs. The sign would light up all at once.

Holly, Wood, and Land,

and then the whole sign would light up all at once.

And if that weren't enough, below the sign there would also be searchlights to bring more attention

to it.

The poles that were going to go in to the ground to support the sign were hauled up the hillside

by mules. The total cost of the Hollywoodland sign

was $21,000, which would be a little more than $300,000 today.

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