Boyle Heights and Hollenbeck Park

Mar 25, 2010 by Lisa Newton

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Amazingly, the journey that leads to Hollenbeck Park, which is located in Boyle Heights, originally started in Ohio and Illinois, moved to Nicaragua, and then finally arrived in Los Angeles, circa 1876.

As William Mulholland was central to bringing water to the Southland and the development of the twenty four-mile long Mulholland Drive–which is an east-west transport from the Westside mountains to the beaches– the Hollenbeck’s were a family dynasty that was the founding family that were the driving force behind the development of the Hollenbeck Park and many parts of Boyle Heights including:

When researching this article on Hollenbeck Park, the information about the name behind the park was sparse and lacking.

After hitting a dead-end, I decided to phone the Hollenbeck Palms, and a very friendly woman answered my question; who were the Hollenbecks? She informed me that John and Elizabeth Hollenbeck were the husband and wife behind the well known name.

In 1846, John Hollenbeck, left his home in Illinois to seek his fortune in the California gold fields. However, upon his sailing vessel from New Orleans to Aspinwall, now Colon, in Panama, the steamer upon which he had booked passage broke down, and he contracted a fever while waiting for repairs.

He was too ill to continue traveling and sold his remaining ticket for California. On the ship ride there, he fell sick in Nicaragua, and was unable to continue his trip. So, he sold his ticket and started a new life in Central America.

Once he was well again, Hollenbeck took various jobs, from an engineer on a steamboat to establishing a general store to cutting wood to fuel numerous steamboats.

Slowly but surely, Hollenbeck built up his wealth until in 1853, he purchased the Nicaragua Hotel at Castillo Rapids.

At the time of the purchase, the hotel was managed by Elizabeth Hatsfeldt, who had recently immigrated to Nicaragua from New Orleans. In January 1854, John married Elizabeth, and thus began the story behind the legend:

After two decades of wealth, Central American politics, and the Civil War, John Hollenbeck–who was experiencing health problems– and his wife, visited and later moved to Los Angeles.

Arriving in LA in 1876, the Hollenbeck’s started to purchase land, and over the course of the next several years, they spent over $100,000 to purchase 6,700 acres, much of it in Boyle Heights, but also in the San Gabriel Valley.

In 1878 Hollenbeck became a stockholder in the Commercial Bank of Los Angeles, and was elected its president. In 1881, he and other investors organized and established the First National Bank. In 1880, Hollenbeck, with former California Governor John G. Downey, horticulturalist Ozro W. Childs and other associates, persuaded the State of California to purchase 160 acres in Los Angeles to foster agriculture in the southland. The property, then known as Agriculture Park, is now known as Exposition Park, home to the Los Angeles Coliseum and the Los Angeles County Museums. Source: Wikipedia

In 1885, John Hollenbeck died, leaving most of his wealth to his wife, Elizabeth. She was a philanthropist and like most philanthropists’ believed that helping others is life’s highest calling.

To put her ethos into action, she built the first licensed retirement home in the State of California—Hollenbeck Home, which is currently known as Hollenbeck Palms.

Now that Travelin’ Local has informed you about the story behind the story about the Hollenbeck’s, let’s explore the fantastic park named in their honor.

Located at corner of Saint Louis and Fourth Streets in Boyle Heights, Hollenbeck Park is actually a lake surrounded by a park.

Established in 1892, with 21 acres of land donated by Elizabeth Hollenbeck and the former LA mayor, William Workman, Hollenbeck Park is a playground, a jogging path, a picnic ground, and much more. Hollenbeck Park is a great place for a family outing, packing a picnic, and spending a Sunday afternoon at the Park.

One of the coolest features of this park is its outdoor gym. I wish more of Los Angeles parks had these outdoor workout areas. As most exercise aficionados will inform you, getting a good workout while being outside enjoying the fresh air, the sounds of nature, and burning calories simply can’t be beat as part of living here, in paradise.

So the next time that you’re Travelin’ Local on a warm spring weekend, be sure to visit the striking Hollenbeck Park.

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