El Centro Avenue in Hollywood isn't very big, or very important. At least, not today. But Greg Williams, author of "The Story of Hollywood" says when it came to figuring out who owned what under the old Spanish land grant system, El Centro was crucial.

"It is the center part of the two tracts that were the original of Hollywood: the Spanish tracts. You had Los Feliz and you had La Brea and the dividing line pretty much went along El Centro."

As you probably have figured out, El Centro, the dividing line, is Spanish for "the center."

(Airdate for this story: 2/17/08)