> Of Dutch ancestry but born in rural Summit County, OH, John Edward Hollenbeck (1829-1885), left his homestate first to move with his family deeper into the country’s Old Northwest, to IL in 1845, returned to Tallmadge, OH, by 1850, where he began work as a machinist. At this time, news of the Gold Rush in CA had swept the US, and Hollenbeck, known as “Ed,” came under its spell. He traveled down the Mississippi to New Orleans, where he boarded a ship bound for Panama. He fell ill either en route or in the country, and his connecting voyage from Panama to San Francisco was cancelled, stranding him in Central America. He persevered and migrated to Greytown, Nicaragua, where he eventually operated a mercantile store. He prospered in Nicaragua, becoming the owner of a steamship fleet. and he married a woman, Elizabeth Hollenbeck, who became his business partner, running a Nicaraguan hotel by 1853. Political turmoil in the country led him to migrate back to the US in 1860, but the Civil War’s onset forced his wife and him to return to Nicaragua
>
> **Alteration**
>
> When first constructed in 1884, the Hollenbeck Building first contained only two stories, the first used for shops, the upper for office space.
>
> **Demolition**
>
> The Trustees of the Elizabeth Hollenbeck Estate proceeded with the demolition of the Hollenbeck Hotel during 02/1932.
I can only imagine how LA (or the rest of the US cities) would feel so different nowadays if those buildings had survived. Much like when one is walking along the streets of Seville, London or Paris, the atmosphere would most likely be much different.
moose098 says
[Higher res image](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/c/c4/Exterior_of_the_Hollenbeck_Hotel_on_the_corner_of_Spring_Street_and_Second_Street%2C_Los_Angeles%2C_ca.1900-1905_%28CHS-2346%29.jpg/1920px-Exterior_of_the_Hollenbeck_Hotel_on_the_corner_of_Spring_Street_and_Second_Street%2C_Los_Angeles%2C_ca.1900-1905_%28CHS-2346%29.jpg)
More info:
>**Building History**
> Of Dutch ancestry but born in rural Summit County, OH, John Edward Hollenbeck (1829-1885), left his homestate first to move with his family deeper into the country’s Old Northwest, to IL in 1845, returned to Tallmadge, OH, by 1850, where he began work as a machinist. At this time, news of the Gold Rush in CA had swept the US, and Hollenbeck, known as “Ed,” came under its spell. He traveled down the Mississippi to New Orleans, where he boarded a ship bound for Panama. He fell ill either en route or in the country, and his connecting voyage from Panama to San Francisco was cancelled, stranding him in Central America. He persevered and migrated to Greytown, Nicaragua, where he eventually operated a mercantile store. He prospered in Nicaragua, becoming the owner of a steamship fleet. and he married a woman, Elizabeth Hollenbeck, who became his business partner, running a Nicaraguan hotel by 1853. Political turmoil in the country led him to migrate back to the US in 1860, but the Civil War’s onset forced his wife and him to return to Nicaragua
>
> **Alteration**
>
> When first constructed in 1884, the Hollenbeck Building first contained only two stories, the first used for shops, the upper for office space.
>
> **Demolition**
>
> The Trustees of the Elizabeth Hollenbeck Estate proceeded with the demolition of the Hollenbeck Hotel during 02/1932.
[source](http://pcad.lib.washington.edu/building/15311/)
[The site today](https://www.google.com/maps/place/207+S+Spring+St,+Los+Angeles,+CA+90012/@34.0514154,-118.2458671,3a,75y,90t/data=!3m7!1e1!3m5!1se5rD15WMMoRX9sh9U9OGMg!2e0!6s%2F%2Fgeo1.ggpht.com%2Fmaps%2Fphotothumb%2Ffd%2Fv1%3Fbpb%3DChAKDnNlYXJjaC5UQUNUSUxFEmYKOAnvBzpFScbCgBEqroqPs-aIXBokCxDThbhCGhsSGQoUChIJ7wc6RUnGwoARrqELPSo5i7kQzwEMEgoNF9ZLFBXKHIW5GhIJ43ayikrGwoARrbvz-xr_iRIqCg0X1ksUFcochbkaBAhWEFY%26gl%3DUS!7i13312!8i6656!4m5!3m4!1s0x80c2c649453a07ef:0x5c88e6b38f8aae2a!8m2!3d34.0514327!4d-118.2458678)
[The Christmas menu from early-1900s](https://imgur.com/a/jvDqHqE)
[more images](https://imgur.com/a/KOwJIBU)
michaelclas says
Los Angeles used to be so beautiful
wishnana says
I can only imagine how LA (or the rest of the US cities) would feel so different nowadays if those buildings had survived. Much like when one is walking along the streets of Seville, London or Paris, the atmosphere would most likely be much different.