The obituary for Canadian-born paving contractor George R. Wilton (1860-1939), who moved to Los Angeles by 1898 and surfaced countless Southland roads and sidewalks, said that Wilton Place was named for his family. Unfortunately for us researchers, old obits often fudged facts – a lot – so this claim remains undetermined. Wilton Place itself originally stretched for just two blocks between Pico and Venice, along with three other “Places”: Manhattan, St Andrews, and Gramercy. They were all introduced on the W.G. Nevin tract, a 40 acre subdivision that opened in late 1901. Railroad executive William G. Nevin (1855-1902) was the primary owner; he died just a month after the tract opened. See Gramercy Place for more on the Nevin family.
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