Party hats and cupcakes were only the beginning on August 4th when the Hollywood Historical Society sponsored a multi-layered event celebrating Hollywood Founder’s Day 2024, the birthday of our city’s founder, Joseph W. Young, Jr.
Born in Washington Territory, Young made his way down the West Coast, landing in Long Beach, California, and beginning his career as a real estate developer. He moved his family to the Midwest, continuing to hone his skills, before choosing this place in Florida for his dream city, Hollywood-By-the-Sea.
This year, August 4th fell on a Sunday, the day the Hollywood Historical Society always welcomes the public, so the celebration was a truly special event, with over 100 visitors and locals joining the festivities. Our president, Clive Taylor, led the monthly downtown walking tour (always the first Sunday of every month, during the Dream Car Classic show) with about 30 people. This month, in addition to the historic structures along Hollywood Boulevard, they included the new Joseph Young Walkway at 20th Avenue.
Highlighting the day was the introduction of our commemorative Founder’s Day t-shirt, designed by South Broward High School sophomore Amoy Davis. The design was part of the Hollywood Historical Society’s “Our Liberia” project, an educational outreach program with 150 local students learning and reporting on the early development of Hollywood and the neighborhood of Liberia.
Meanwhile, activity was brisk at our booth at the car show, staffed as always by Hollywood Historical Society volunteer and ex-president Karen Albertson. Her old Hollywood stories always delight, she has some great merchandise for sale, and her famous swag bags are filled with information flyers about our upcoming events, lectures, membership opportunities and more.
In the afternoon, all were welcomed to the Historic Hammerstein House at 1520 Polk Street. Nearly 70 people joined us for house tours, snacks, and a presentation for Amoy Davis.
Davis’ t-shirts, along with other fun and colorful Hollywood Historical Society designs, are available at our Research Center at 1520 Polk Street. Call 954-923-5590 for hours. Proceeds from the t-shirt sales support our educational efforts in the city, promoting Hollywood history and pride.
Our Research Center holds over 20,000 items in its collection and is open to the public to tour every Tuesday and Friday or by appointment. Whether you are a longtime resident or a curious visitor, there is something for everyone to discover at the Hollywood Historical Society. Visit our website at Hollywoodhistoricalsociety.org and follow us on Facebook and Instagram, or call 954-923-5590 for information on joining, volunteering or any of our upcoming programs.