My ancestors grew up in Hollywood.  No, not that one!  The one in Luzerne County, Pennsylvania.  Never heard of it? Neither had I until I delved into my family history.

A lack of information exists about the small PA village known as Hollywood.  From what I’ve learned, Hollywood was a coal mining town (shocking for that area, I know) and according to family members who grew up near there or still reside in the neighboring Hazleton, Hollywood consisted of a small patch of houses off of Route 309.

My mom can recall that Hollywood was at the top of Hazleton Mountain and Angela Park was located at the bottom.  She distinctly remembers school field trips to the park; an amusement park of sorts that had games, rides and even a mini train.  The park has since closed down but it’s got me intrigued to write more about it in a future post.

If you’ve happened by my entertainment blog then you  know that I have a deep appreciation for all things film, television and theatre related.  So, you can imagine my delight upon learning I have relatives that called Hollywood home.  Okay, maybe it’s not THAT entertainment mecca but it made me smile nonetheless.

I’m on a mission to know more about this town.  What it looked like in 1894 when my 2nd great-grandparents married there or thirty years later when their daughter married my great-grandfather.  I have marriage records for both of the aforementioned parties, showing Hollywood, PA as their residence – so I know it existed and that they lived in that particular location.  I just need to see for myself what the environment looked like.  There will be visit in the near future so that I can see for myself what it looks like now.

I don’t expect it to be a vision of beauty or elegance like its namesake.  It’s likely it was given such a  name out of a witty sense of humor or a “this is real life” statement.  The reasoning behind the name choice interests me as does having a visual representation of the homes and locations that my ancestors spent their lives.

Being able to imagine them in their own habitat, whatever it may have looked like, provides a window into understanding their choices.  What did they struggle with?  What was a typical day like for them?  Did they have a strong desire to leave Hollywood and venture into the big cities of Hazleton or Wilkes-Barre?  When so many left their small towns to move to Hollywood, CA how many dreamed of leaving the one in PA?

My great-grandparents, after marrying, did call Hazleton home as did the generations that followed.  Did my great-grandmother visit her Hollywood family often?  Was there any type of class/social issues that arose between those in Hollywood and family that moved to Hazleton?  These are the types of questions that peak this writer’s interest and I’m itching to know more.

I will follow-up on this post in the coming months, after I make a visit up to Hollywood.  In the meantime, I can simply imagine!