In 1900, Burton E. Green, Charles A. Canfield, Max Whittier, Frank H. Buck, Henry E.

Huntington,
William G. Kerckhoff, William F. Herrin, W.S. Porter, and Frank H. Balch, formed the
Amalgamated Oil Coman!, "o#ght the Hammel and $enker ranch, and "egan
looking for oil.!" !#" !!" %he! did not find eno#gh to e&loit commerciall! "! the
'tandard' of the time, tho#gh.!!" In 190(, therefore, the! reorgani)ed a' the
*odeo +and and Water Coman!, renamed the roert! ,Be-erl! Hill',,
'#"di-ided it, and "egan 'elling lot'.!!" !$" %he de-eloment .a' named
,Be-erl! Hill', after Be%erly Farms in Be%erly& Massachusetts and "eca#'e of the hill' in
the area.!#" !!" %he fir't ho#'e in the '#"di-i'ion .a' "#ilt in 190/, altho#gh
'ale' remained 'lo..!'"
Be%erly Hills (as one of many all)(hite *lanned communities started in the +os Angeles area around
this time.!," -estricti%e co%enants *rohi.ited non)(hites from o(ning or renting *ro*erty unless they
(ere em*loyed as ser%ants .y (hite residents./"012 3t (as also for.idden to sell or rent *ro*erty to
4e(s in Be%erly Hills.!1"
5he Be%erly Hills Hotel 6of (hich only a ne(er *art is clearly %isi.le here7 (as the first su.stantial
.uilding *ro8ect in (hat de%elo*ed into Be%erly Hills.
Burton Green .egan construction on 5he Be%erly Hills Hotel in !/!!. 5he hotel (as finished in !/!$.
5he %isitors dra(n .y the hotel (ere inclined to *urchase land in Be%erly Hills& and .y !/!, the
su.di%ision had a high enough *o*ulation to incor*orate as an inde*endent city.!#" 5hat same year&
the -odeo +and and Water Com*any decided to se*arate its (ater .usiness from its real estate
.usiness. 5he Be%erly Hills 9tility Commission (as s*lit off from the land com*any and incor*orated
in :e*tem.er !/!,& .uying all of the utilities)related assets from the -odeo +and and Water Com*any.
!;"