Carl Laemmle's Universal Film Manufacturing Company was among the first film production businesses to open in Southern California. The area's mild climate and dramatic scenery made for the perfect environment for that era's popular westerns. By 1915, Laemmle opened Universal City, a 230-acre ranch and filmdom's first, self-contained unincorporated community dedicated to making movies. Curley Stecker's wild animals that were part of the company, serenaded the townspeople in 1916 nightly.

At the close of World War I, Victory Boulevard was named in honor of those who had served in the Great War. Making kerosene lamps a thing of the past, the first natural gas line ran from Burbank to Lankershim, servicing 62 customers. Amidst a surging population, it finally became necessary to identify homes and buildings with numbers.

Organized by our local leaders to face the problems of the community, our Chamber of Commerce has for nearly 90 years played a major role in virtually every significant development in North Hollywood. The Chamber supported joining Los Angeles in 1923. Passage of a $378,000 bond issue to purchase 99-acre North Hollywood Park, and the town's name change from Lankershim to North Hollywood, were accomplished in 1927. One of the park's acres became a regional library the following year. Our community now boasted a 1,000,000 white leghorn chicken population.