Arthur Letts

Arthur Letts Sr.
Born	Template:Birth date Holdenby, Northamptonshire, England
Died	May 18, 1923(1923-05-18) (aged 60)
Occupation(s)	Entrepreneur, retail merchant, landowner
Known for	Founder of The Broadway department store and Bullock's retail chain; developer of Westwood and Holmby Hills in Los Angeles

Arthur Letts Sr. (born June 17, 1862 – died May 18, 1923) was an English-born entrepreneur who established his fortune in early 20th-century Los Angeles, California. He achieved success by revitalizing a modest, insolvent dry goods store located in Downtown Los Angeles, eventually creating the well-known The Broadway department store and later founding the Bullock's retail chain.

Early years

Arthur Letts Sr. entered the world in Holdenby, Northamptonshire, England. In 1882, he relocated to Toronto, Ontario, Canada, where he secured a position at a large dry goods retailer. During the Red River Rebellion in Canada’s Northwest, he enlisted voluntarily. For his exemplary service, he received a silver medal with clasp and was granted land by the Canadian government. By the early 1890s, Letts moved to the United States, settling in Seattle, Washington, where he continued working in the dry goods sector.

The Broadway

In 1896, Letts arrived in the Los Angeles area. At that time, the J. A. Williams & Co. Dry Goods Store at Fourth and Broadway—then on the southern fringe of the downtown Los Angeles commercial district—had declared bankruptcy. Leveraging a connection who recognized his expertise in retail, Letts secured a $5,000 loan from Los Angeles National Bank and launched his enterprise on February 24, 1896. He named his establishment The Broadway. This location was significantly expanded over time, and numerous additional stores were established throughout the southwestern United States.

Bullock's Department Store

Arthur Letts was the primary financial backer and proprietor behind the establishment of Bullock's department store. He appointed John Bullock, formerly associated with The Broadway, to manage the store's operations. Following Letts' passing, Bullock, alongside a consortium of investors, acquired the store from Letts' estate.

Westwood, UCLA, and Holmby Hills

The inception of Westwood, Holmby Hills, and UCLA dates back to 1919 when Arthur Letts Sr. acquired approximately 400 acres (1.6 km²) of land from the Wolfskill Ranch, which was originally part of the Mexican land grant known as Rancho San Jose de Buenos Ayres. His comprehensive vision for this valuable tract in western Los Angeles was to develop a diverse community featuring retail spaces, apartment buildings, residential homes, grand estates, and a major university. He personally named the neighborhoods Westwood and "Holmby Hills," with the latter name inspired by his English hometown of Holdenby. Unfortunately, Arthur Letts Sr. passed away unexpectedly in 1923 before his plans could come to fruition.

Community

Letts was actively involved in numerous organizations. His memberships included the Hollywood Masonic Lodge, the Knights Templar, the esteemed California Club located in Downtown Los Angeles, as well as the Los Angeles Athletic Club, the exclusive Los Angeles Country Club, and the Midwick Country Club in Alhambra within the San Gabriel Valley. Additionally, he belonged to the distinguished Bohemian Club based in San Francisco. His civic engagements extended to participation in the Los Angeles Chamber of Commerce, Realty Board, Hollywood Board of Trade, Federation Club, and the Automobile Club of Southern California. Letts also served as vice-president of the Boy Scouts of America and led his local troop.

Holmby House and gardens in the Los Feliz district (circa 1905)

Marriage and residence

On August 25, 1886, Letts married Florence Philp in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The couple had three children: Florence Edna (McNaghten), Gladys (Janss), and Arthur Letts Jr.

An accomplished horticulturist and enthusiastic plant collector, Arthur Letts meticulously designed the landscape of his estate known as Holmby House in the Los Feliz district of Hollywood. The grounds featured an extensive collection of trees, shrubs, and flowers alongside a nationally renowned assortment of cacti. Bounded by Franklin Avenue, Vermont Avenue, Los Feliz Boulevard, and Laughlin Park, these gardens were accessible to the public via tours with stops served by the Pacific Electric Railway. Letts wished for his gardens to be preserved following his death. However, after his passing in May 1923 and upon advice from his son-in-law Harold Janss of the Janss Investment Company, who resided at the rear of the property, his widow chose to demolish both the gardens and mansion in 1927 to facilitate subdivision and development. She subsequently relocated to a new home in Holmby Hills. By June 1924 she had remarried Charles Quinn. Many rare cacti specimens from Letts’ collection were later acquired by Henry E. Huntington for display at his Huntington Desert Garden within the Huntington estate and Huntington Library in San Marino.

Arthur Letts Jr.

In 1927, Arthur Letts Jr. constructed a residence in the Tudor architectural style located on Charing Cross Road within the Los Angeles Country Club. Following the passing of his father in 1923, he partnered with Harold Janss to continue the development of the Westwood area.Template:Fix/category The property that once belonged to his estate later became known as Hugh Hefner's Playboy MansionTemplate:Fix/category until it was sold in 2016 for $100 million (~$Template:Format price adjusted for inflation) to the heir of the owner of Hostess Brands.

Harold Janss

The union of Arthur Letts Sr.'s daughter Gladys and Harold Janss in 1911 linked the two families. The Janss Investment Company maintained its role in developing master-planned communities throughout greater Los Angeles well into the 1960s.