Outpost Estates, in the heart of Old Hollywood, has an amazing and interesting history.  Fortunately, most of the original houses have been preserved, and Lower Outpost looks much like it did in the 1920's.  Below is a little more detail on our history.  But first, a few interesting facts: * In the 1920's, Outpost Estates once had a sign not unlike the Hollywoodland sign (which later became the Hollywood sign).  The OUTPOST sign is still there, buried in the weeds.  It was one of the largest neon signs in the world.  Even the original foundation and electrical junction boxes survive.  * Have you noticed there are no utility poles in Outpost?  The Outpost Estates development was one of the first neighborhoods in the country to offer all-underground utilities. * Original negatives and pictures of Outpost homes still exist.  In fact, there are negatives of nearly all 1920's Outpost homes. * Several copies of the original Outpost Estates brochures and newsletters still exist One can be viewed in its entirety on this webiste at http://www.outpostestates.com/hillsidecover.html .  A second is at http://www.outpostestates.com/h2c.html. Outpost Estates History In 1853, Don Urquidez built the first adobe home on an Indian burial ground at the northwest corner of what is now Franklin and Sycamore.  Subsequently, General Otis, a veteran of the Spanish American War, purchased the original Outpost acreage from Don Tomas Urquidez.   General Otis renamed the adobe "The Outpost" and it became a clubhouse of sorts for his buddies from his military days. This piece of real estate would change hands a number of times before becoming part of the Outpost Estates.  In fact, around 1920, Mr. Otis sold the property to Charles E. Toberman, future developer of Outpost Estates. Las Colinas Heights  Our Neighbor to the West In 1914, Charles E. Toberman, acquired ten acres just west of La Brea and north of Hollywood Blvd for a $70,000 option,.   The seller was T.E. Gibbon, former vice president of the Salt Lake Railway.  Mr. Toberman put in streets and the necessary grading and lighting, subdivided the acreage into lots and sold them for the unheard price of $65 and $75 per front foot. He named this tract Las Colinas Heights. Las Colinas Heights became one of his most successful developments.  It featured many fine homes, built and sold by Toberman to families who desired the "ultimate in gracious living".  In fact, in 1926, Mr. Toberman built his own "ultimate dream house" at 1847 Camino Palmero in Las Colinas Heights.  His Spanish mansion, which is still there and recently restored, is set in acres of landscaped gardens at the end of a long driveway.  The property features stately palm trees, an enclosed swimming pool, tennis courts, indoor and outdoor barbeques, a pitch and put golf course and a horse shoe pitching range.  Outpost Estates  Original Development In 1922, Mr. Toberman, who had acquired "The Outpost" acreage from General Otis, sold his choice piece of property to Jesse L. Lasky for $157,000.   Unfortunately, this turned out to be a mistake. By 1924, having purchased 325 acres to the north of this property in "Hay Canyon" from Myra Hershey for the development of Outpost Estates, Mr. Toberman was confronted with a problem.  The property he sold to Jesse Lasky prevented any access to Franklin Avenue, which was essential to permit the subdivision of Outpost Estates.  So, Mr. Toberman re-purchased those desperately-needed ten and a half acres of "Tract 4820" (what is today a part of Franklin Avenue, Outpost Drive and El Cerrito Place) in April of 1924 from Jesse L. Laskey for the staggering sum of $275,000.  He then embarked on his dream of developing Outpost Estates, "one of the most exclusive and beautiful residential parks in the world". Over the next twenty years, Mr. Toberman oversaw the development of Outpost Estates, a planned community which he regarded as his supreme achievement of the more than fifty-three subdivisions he developed in Hollywood. In the early 1920's, times were good.  By 1926, Mr. Toberman was in the midst of an extensive improvement program on tract #9408, the Outpost Drive and Outpost Circle area, the heart of his Outpost Estates.  He had a vision of a planned residential community, a "jewel in the hills" and was determined to develop his dream.  Architecture was limited to pure Spanish with sloped roofs of genuine kiln tiles.  Flat roofs were strictly forbidden.  He also implemented rigid building restrictions that required plaster wall construction, ensuring enduring strength and earthquake resistance.  In fact, many of the original homes have survived all subsequent earthquakes  with no discernable damage. The original Outpost Estates was an up-to-date development, with ornamental street lights, concrete roads and sidewalks, and underground utilities...all the last word in modern planning.  Lots ranged in price from $30,000 to $50,000, a huge sum at that time. As a result of his design sense and attention to the latest refinements in living, luxurious homes and building sites in the area were in great demand. Outpost Estates was acclaimed far and wide, and Mr. Toberman continued to open new and carefully planned segments of this exclusive area.  He was quoted in the newspapers as predicting a period of prosperous growth for all of Hollywood.  And there truly seemed to be every indication of this. Outpost Estates and The Stock Market Crash October 29, 1929, without warning, and with a shattering impact to all of America, the Wall Street stock market crashed.  Charles Toberman had to face the grim fact that not only was he in debt for $2.7 million dollars, but almost all of his sources of revenue to meet his obligations had been cut off. The first casualty of Mr. Toberman's Depression years was the forced discontinuance of his development of Outpost Estates in 1930.  Tragically, his beautiful home on Camino Palmero, which he had refused to sell for $500,000 prior to the crash, had to be put up as security for a $90,000 loan, and would later be sacrificed for that amount to pay off the debt. In 1933, Prohibition was repealed, but this did not stimulate the general business climate.  To make matters worse, the Long Beach earthquake hit in March of that same year, causing a great loss of life and property damage.  By 1934, the banks had established a hiatus on residential financing, and private enterprise was at a virtual standstill.  Fortunately, the clientele interested in buying in Outpost Estates were top stars of the day and multimillionaires from Texas and the East.   So, palatial homes continued to be built throughout the Depression years.  Having survived the first half of the decade, Charles Toberman was able to recover enough to open two additional tracts, #10881 and #10853, along Outpost Drive by the summer of 1935. By then, Outpost Estates was attracting nationwide attention for its high construction standards and the preservation of park-like natural beauty in its plot apportionment, grading, and landscaping. So, in 1935, Mr. Toberman decided to build a model home to demonstrate a radically new type of construction -- all steel. The structure located at 2227 Outpost Drive, was acclaimed as "termite proof and fireproof, earthquake resistant and impervious to wear and shrinkage".  Bela Lugosi, the European star famed for his portrayal of Dracula, immediately purchased it. By the late thirties, the growing demand for residential property of high calibre was so great that in 1938 Mr. Toberman opened tract #9932 along Outpost Drive. Although America was still in the throes of the Great Depression and would not see sufficient recovery until the start of World War II, the demand for the highly restricted Outpost Estates was so great that two additional tracts, #11893, Sunny Cove in May of 1940 and #12042, Mulholland Drive in February of 1941 were put on the market.  Even with this activity, it was necessary for Mr. Toberman to sacrifice his beautiful home on Camino Palmero to satisfy the last of his indebtedness. In 1941 he and his wife, Josephine, moved into the steel house on Outpost Drive which they occupied until December of 1955, when they moved into their second "dream house" at 7150 La Presa Drive. This home, which they occupied for the rest of their days, was on a gentle hill of its own, with all of Hollywood spread like a tapestry beneath its picture window and tiled terraces. Outpost Estates  The World War II Years and After During the WWII years only one tract, #12775 Outpost Drive and Senalda, was developed.  Finally, in August, 1951, after a lapse of seven years, Mr. Toberman resumed development of Outpost Estates with tract #16146 Carman Crest Drive, and in May, 1952, tract #17398, Macapa Drive, the area above Mulhuolland known as "17 Acres".  17 Acres was sold to Warner Bros. in 1945.  It was slated to become the site of a television transmitting station that never materialized because of opposition from the Outpost residents, who felt that television would interfere with their radio reception.  Mr. Toberman eventually re-purchased it from Warner Bros.  On September 27, Tract #20606 at Chelan Drive and Chelan Way 1955 opened.  This was to be the final tract in Outpost Estates. Outpost Estates  Recent History After a long illness, Mrs. Charles E. Toberman died in 1970.  Mr. Toberman remained in their home on La Presa until his death at the age of 101 in 1981.  Around that time, he discontinued active participation in the development of Outpost Estates.  His son Homer, who was a real estate developer and builder, constructed a number of the homes in the area following his return from the war. Outpost Estates Homeowners Association By the 1960's, there had been much change in the architecture of Outpost Estates.  With the rapid growth of the area, Mr. Toberman's original restrictions on building were ignored and various types of structures sprang up in a myriad of building sites.  With this growth, it became obvious that was an increasing need for some sort of governing group to protect the privacy and property of the neighborhood.  On May 26, 1967, the Outpost Homeowners' Association was incorporated by the state of California as a non-profit organization, and the first Board of Directors was appointed. The Outpost Homeowners' Association was active from the beginning. The Association took great interest in their little Hollywood oasis and lobbied the City of LA for better traffic control and services.  In the late 1970's through the early 1980's, the Association fought to prevent development of Runyon Canyon.  Thanks to the Association's efforts, the Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy and the City of Los Angeles purchased Runyon Canyon in 1984 from its last private owners, Adad Development, for $5.35 million dollars.  Runyan Canyon was officially designated a City park in June, 1984.  A master plan approved by the city in 1986 with the input of neighbors and local activists recommended that the park be cleaned up and remain an "urban wilderness." Today the Outpost Homeowners' Association is just as active and as vocal as that first group.  They are a group of rare individuals who care for and respect their community.  They rally and unite in times of crisis, need and celebration. Outpost Estates is still a prestigious and beautiful urban area...a true "jewel in the Hollywood Hills", an enduring memorial to the foresight and good taste of Charles E. Toberman.

Outpost Estates: Our History

Outpost: Our History is our Heritage