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The Janss Investment Company was a family run, Los Angeles, California, real estate development company that operated from 1895 to 1995.
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First generation
The Janss Investment Company was founded by Peter Janss, an immigrant doctor from Denmark. Peter Janss graduated in the class of 1877 in Keokuk, Iowa, and by 1882 he was appointed Hall County physician. He moved to Los Angeles in 1893, planning to practice medicine but discovered the real estate industry was much more lucrative. By 1906 he and his two sons, Edwin Janss Sr. and Harold Janss established an investment company, creating subdivisions in Boyle Heights, Monterey Park, and Yorba Linda.
Janss developed Ramona Acres in Monterey Park. Janss subdivided Highland Villa and Belvedere Gardens in Boyle Heights. In 1909, Janss subdivided a 3,500-acre (14 km2) part of the Bernardo Yorba Rancho Cañón de Santa Ana property and named the new town "Yorba Linda".
Second generation
Sons Edwin Janss Sr. and Harold Janss developed Van Nuys and Owensmouth, now called Canoga Park.
In 1911 Harold Janss married Arthur Letts daughter Gladys. In 1923 after Arthur Letts, Sr. died, they took control of the 3,300-acre (13 km2) William Wolfskill ranch on Rancho San Jose de Buenos Ayres. In a deal to get the University of California, Los Angeles, in 1925 Janss Investment Company sold 375 acres (1.5 km2) to the cities of Los Angeles, Santa Monica and Beverly Hills at the bargain price of $1.2 million — about a quarter of its value. The cities, whose voters had passed bond issues to pay for the site, turned around and donated it to the state. The UCLA campus's "Janss Steps" are named for the two brothers. While the UCLA campus was being built, Janss Investment Company went to work developing the Westwood Village commercial area and surrounding residential neighborhoods.
The Janss Brothers' headquarters in Westwood Village, the Janss Investment Company Building or Janss Dome, was opened in 1929. The Dome stands today as one of the iconic buildings of Westwood Village. The firm's Janss Investment Co. "stamps" embellish sidewalks in many Westside residential neighborhoods.
Third generation
Edwin Janss Jr. was chairman of the Janss Investment Company and the third generation of a family of Los Angeles real-estate developers. He and his brother Bill Janss helped expand or develop two ski resorts — Sun Valley in Idaho and Snowmass (ski area) in Colorado — both of which were sold in the late 1970s. Bill Janss was a member of the never-to-compete 1940 US Ski Team. They developed the suburban community of Thousand Oaks on 10,000-acre (40 km2) of land in the Conejo Valley purchased in 1919.
Fourth generation
William Janss Jr., M.D., took over the family business and became Janss Corp.'s president in 1980. During his term, the firm developed some $160 million worth of projects. The firm ceased operations in 1995. Dr. Janss now resides in El Paso, Texas, where he practices.
Fifth generation
William Janss Jr.'s son, Todd Janss of Janss Industries graduated from the University of Texas at Austin and worked at Oracle for over a year before moving to work for a leading search engine company.