William Paul Whitsett (1875-1965) was the “Father of Van Nuys“. Born in the hamlet of Whitsett, PA – obviously a family town – Whitsett came to L.A. in 1905 and got into real estate. After subdividing his own tract (Walnut Lawn), he was hired as sales manager for the Los Angeles Suburban Homes Company (see Whitley Ave.), whose members were subdividing a huge hunk of the San Fernando Valley. As part of the deal, Whitsett co-owned one square mile of the Van Nuys townsite; he laid out its streets, opened it to homebuyers in 1911, and made a fortune. With water so crucial to Valley development, it’s no surprise that Whitsett later became a DWP commissioner and director of the Metropolitan Water District: he sponsored the construction of the Colorado River Aqueduct, which brought more water to the SFV in 1939. The famously well-dressed Whitsett also ran the Valley Federal Savings Bank, assisted by Roy Milner. It’s ironic that Whitsett Ave., named in 1917, doesn’t traverse Van Nuys itself. In fact Van Nuys originally had a Whitsett Drive, but it was changed to Valerio Street, also in 1917.
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