Richard Roberts

Hollywood Richard Roberts

Hollywood-Florida's Diamond of the Gold Coast-was founded in the early 1920s by Joseph Wesley Young, a developer who envisioned a "city for everyone-from the opulent at the top of the industrial and social ladder to the most humble of working people." The city began as a town hoping to lure wealthy Northerners to the balmy climes of South Florida. Timing, unfortunately, was not in the city's interest. Just 10 months after incorporating, the area was devastated by a hurricane that very nearly destroyed the city before it could firmly establish itself as a destination of choice. That setback aside, Hollywood continued a slow, perceptible growth to eventually become Florida's ninth-largest city. Images preserved at the City's Records and Archives Division are displayed in this comprehensive photo journal for history buffs, residents, and tourists alike to celebrate for years to come. Included are unique photos of a Hollywood few people remember: the gracious elegance of the Hollywood Beach Hotel, the fledgling business district along Harrison Street and Hollywood Boulevard, the Riverside Military Academy, the retractable roof of the Country Club, an undeveloped beach, the widest boulevard in all of Florida, and a population determined to enjoy itself in semi-tropical splendor.