Woodland Hills Ward

Step into the shoes of a pioneer. Imagine the year 1922. Woodland Hills wasn’t Woodland Hills yet. It was Girard a town built on a dream and a dash of deception. Victor Girard Kleinberger a rug salesman from Kentucky had a vision. He bought thousands of acres. He planted 120000 trees. He built a town. Two mosque-like structures stood tall. They were meant to lure buyers. The Grand Opening was a spectacle. Free bus rides came from downtown Los Angeles. People arrived to see exotic buildings. They ate free barbecue. Then came the hard sell. Small lots were sold often multiple times. The dream was enticing but the reality was complex. A brush fire in 1927 damaged the golf clubhouse. The fire department said the Girard division didn’t exist. The 1929 stock market crash hit hard. Girard’s company collapsed. He moved on. Woodland Hills wasn’t just about real estate. Native Americans the Fernandeño-Tataviam and Chumash-Venturaño tribes lived here for 8000 years. The Portola Expedition in 1769 saw the oak savanna. They named the area El Valle de Santa Catalina de Bononia de Los Encinos. The Mission San Fernando Rey de España controlled the land. Later Americans began to acquire land. The Los Angeles Aqueduct in 1913 solved water issues attracting more settlers. In 1945 Girard became Woodland Hills. The name was fitting given the numerous mature trees. The Warner Center Topanga Plaza Kaiser Hospital and various industries transformed the area. Today Woodland Hills stands as a testament to its complex past a neighborhood in the San Fernando Valley. It’s a place where history nature and modern life converge. The Woodland Hills Ward sits among this rich history. It’s a place of worship a community hub. A reminder that even amidst changing landscapes faith endures. This is Woodland Hills.