San Pedro Timeline
Transition and Commercial Foundation 1850 – 1897
1850: California Becomes 31st State
- 1848: California becomes territory of the US following the Mexican American War
- 1848: The Gold Rush brought in hundreds of thousands of Americans overland and by sea, peaking in 1849
- September 9, 1850: California becomes the 31st state, nickname is The Golden State
- As the Gold Rush died out, agriculture became the next big economic opportunity
- The arrival of railroads in 1869 linked the California farmlands with the rest of the US, which greatly increased the market
- 1850s: First palm tree is believed to have been brought to Los Angeles from the desert east of the city
- 1853: San Pedro is recognized as a Port of Entry for California
1851: Phineas Banning Arrives in San Pedro, Age 21
- Phineas Banning was born in Wilmington Delaware, and later worked in Philadelphia at his brother′s law firm, then on the dockyards of that city
- Banning worked as a store clerk at the San Pedro fishing village and drove a stagecoach between San Pedro and Los Angeles, a town of 2,000
- Started his own staging and shipping company in the 1850′s
- Later known as the ″Father of the Port of Los Angeles″
- Banning′s entrepreneurial spirit positions San Pedro for future success as a maritime and trade center. However, there were challenges as the harbor was shallow with large expanses of mud flats so it needed a huge investment for larger ships to dock.
- Banning believed that 3 things were needed to pave the way for San Pedro area success:
- Railroad
- Dredging the harbor
- Breakwater
- Banning would build a railroad, initiate dredging the harbor, and start the process for building a breakwater by soliciting funds from Congress
1852: Timms Landing
- Augustus Timms, an early rival of Banning, purchased Sepulveda landing, regular docking site for commercial boats, located where today′s 14th and 16th Streets would extend to the harbor
- Timms, who owned a sheep farm on Catalina, built up the area with a long wharf, a hotel, a few homes, some stores, a bathhouse, and corrals
- Timms Landing became a thriving commercial enterprise frequented by stagecoach and freight wagons that transported freight to and from ships to Los Angeles
- Early 1880′s: The site later becomes the terminus of the Los Angeles and San Pedro Railroad
- Timm′s Landing was a much visited recreational destination for many and was popular for clamming on the mudflats
- 1902: Timms′ widow sold the site to the Southern Pacific Railroad
- California Historical Landmark
- Los Angeles Historic-Cultural Monument #171
1853: San Pedro Recognized as a Port of Entry in California
- San Francisco had been the sole Port of Entry for California
- All trade and immigration had to originate in San Francisco
- San Pedro was largely ignored until the recognition as a port of entry
- After several petitions from San Pedro merchants, San Pedro became the Second Port of Entry
Late 1850′s: Port and Trade Expansion
- 1854: Banning, along with a group of Southern California investors, purchased 640 acres adjacent to San Pedro harbor for port expansion — docks, warehouses, and connectivity to transportation
- 1858: Development completed, this became known as Banning′s Landing — later called New San Pedro, but incorporated in 1863 as Wilmington, named after Banning′s birthplace, Wilmington, Delaware
- Banning invested profits of his trade networks into the development of a more sophisticated port complex and for the creation of roads and telegraph connections to Los Angeles
- Banning began to formalize transport of merchandise between deep water ships in the outer harbor and local docks, turning this into a prosperous enterprise
- Banning also formalized transport of merchandise between San Pedro and multiple destinations with wagons and stagecoaches
Late 1850′s — Early 1860′s: Major Weather Setbacks
- 1858: San Diego hurricane, only known tropical cyclone to hit California.
- San Pedro experienced very heavy rainfall, but no high wind. A large portion of the San Pedro wharf was destroyed. Parts of LA experienced up to 7″ of rain.
- 1861 — 1862: Unprecedented flooding from torrential rains that started toward the end of 1861 and continued into 1862
- 1863 — 1864: Major drought
1860′s: Phineas Banning′s Stagecoach Transport Business Flourishes
- Banning′s stagecoach business provides transportation and freight shipping with huge profits
- Regular trading destinations included: Los Angeles, Salt Lake City, the Kern River gold fields, the Yuma AZ military installation, and the Mormon settlement in San Bernardinoa
- 1888: Banning would also enter the passenger transport business between San Pedro and Catalina. The Banning Company had a few large modern steamers that had greater capacity and regular schedules than the competitors with their smaller boats and irregular timing
1860: San Pedro Population = 359
- 1860: 359
- 1893: 1200
- 1898: 2300
- 1905: 6000
- 1913: 9167
- 1914: 11,110
- 1925: 30,000
- 1933: 37,000
- 1938: 50,000
- 1950: 53,578
- 1963: 64,000
- 1980: 62,323
- 2018: 86,000
1861: Camp Drum, the Drum Barracks
- Built in Wilmington at the beginning of the Civil War on land donated by Banning
- Served as the headquarters for the Union′s Southwestern command for California and Arizona
- Contained local stock of military arms, ammunition and supplies
- 1858: Captain Winfield Scott Hancock, Army Quartermaster, was initially the sole US military presence in the Los Angeles area
- During the Civil War, Hancock would go back east and was ultimately promoted to general
- Hancock led a Union army during the Battle of Gettysburg at Cemetery Ridge demonstrating tactical brilliance, and was an inspiration to his troops by being front and center during the battle
- He was severly wounded on the third and last day of the battle and refused to retreat until after the battle was over
- Up to 7,000 Union troops were stationed at the Drum Barracks during the war
- Banning was bestowed with an honorary title of Brigadier General of the California First Brigade
- Drum Barracks and Officer′s Quarters is on the list of US National Register of Historic Places
- California Historical Landmark #169
- Los Angeles Historic-Cultural Monument #21
1862: Great Flood of 1862
- December 24, 1861: Heavy rain began to fall and continued for 28 straight days, causing the largest flood in recorded history for California, Oregon and Nevada
- Estimates indicate 66 inches of rain fell
- Flooding drowned thousands of cattle, washed away fruit trees and vineyards along the Los Angeles River, washed away a mining town, submerged several small settlements, roads became impassable
- The flooding in Orange County caused the Santa Ana River to overflow and form an inland sea with water standing 4 feet deep for about 3 weeks
- A solid expanse of water covered the area from Signal Hill to Huntington Beach, a distance of approximately 18 miles
- The Central Valley from the Coast Range to the Sierra Nevada was covered with water
- California′s new Governor, Leland Stanford, was scheduled to be inaugurated on January 10 and had to take a rowboat from his mansion to the Sacramento capital building. On the way back he was forced to enter his mansion through a second floor window.
- Major floods are a regular occurrence in Southern California
- 1825: Los Angeles flood of 1825, changed the course of the Los Angeles River moving its outlet from Santa Monica Bay to San Pedro Bay, near where it is today in Long Beach
- 1858: San Diego Hurricane
- 1861 — 1862: Great Flood
- 1909: California Flood, northern California
- 1933 — 1934: Crescenta Valley flood, 12 inches in one week
- 1937: Santa Ana flood, 8 inches in 4 days
- 1939: California Tropical Storm
- 1955: California flood, 15 inches in 24 hours
- 1986: 13 days of rain
- 2014: Hurricane Marie storm surge
1863: Major Drought Brings End to Cattle Industry
- 1863 — 1864: Major drought persists for 2 years causing a loss of 70% of Los Angeles County livestock
- The ranching industry in the Los Angeles area effectively ends following the floods earlier, then the extreme drought
- Agriculture replaces ranching as the main industry
- Major droughts are a regular occurrence in Southern California:
- 1924: Encouraged farmers to engage in irrigation
- 1929 — 1934: Coincides with the Dust Bowl that occurred in the midwest US. The Central Valley Project was initiated in the 30′s
- 1959 — 1962: Led to the creation of the State Water Project
- 1976 — 1977: 1977 was the driest year on record. Spurred efforts for urban conservation and the state′s Drought Emergency Water Bank
- 1986 — 1992: Experienced throughout many parts of the US
- 2007 — 2009: Statewide proclamation of emergency
- 2011 — 2017: The 2011 — 2014 period was the driest in California history since record keeping had begun
1863: Steamer Ada Hancock Explodes in San Pedro Bay
- April 27: Boilers explode while the steamer was ferrying several people to a larger seagoing vessel, an ocean liner, The Senator, bound for San Francisco
- 26 deaths, several hundred injured on the steamship Ada Hancock, one of the deadliest boating accidents on the west coast.
- Phineas Banning bought the Milton Willis in 1861 as part of his small fleet of ships for transport of passengers and freight to seagoing vessels and renamed her the Ada Hancock, after the daughter of his friend General Winfield Scott Hancock
- Several members of Banning′s family were on the boat though all survived, many with injuries. Banning was thrown at least 100 feet
- A Wells Fargo courier employee was carrying gold bullion which was lost, along with the jewelry of several other victims
- Cause of the explosion: On the second run to the ocean liner a violent squall occurred which caused the boat to take on water. When the cold sea water hit the boiler, it exploded. Fragments were found half to three quarters of a mile away.
1863: Ada Hancock Explosion, One of Several Events to Adversely Affect San Pedro
- 1858: San Diego Hurricane
- 1862: Great Flood of 1862
- 1863: Major Drought ends Cattle Industry
- 1863: Ada Hancock Explosion
- 1868: Tsunami
- 1910: Wharf Explosion
- 1929: Sunken City Disaster
- 1933: Long Beach Earthquake
- 1939: Long Beach Tropical Storm
- 1947: SS Markay Explosion
- 1960: Tsunami
- 1976: SS Sansinena Explosion
- 2011: White Point Landslide
- 2014: Hurricane Maria Storm Surge
1866 — 1880: Commercial Growth after the Civil War
- Commerce grows dramatically after the Civil War and builds momentum going forward
- The ability of San Pedro to handle the increasing commerce was provided by ongoing development of harbor capacity which included dredging, port facilities, and transportation
- Lumber imports become significant as building construction increases dramatically to accommodate commercial and population growth throughout Los Angeles
- 1870s: Gradual settlement of fishermen and workmen on and near the waterfront
1868: Tsunami Strikes San Pedro
- August 14: Tsunami strikes the harbor area, caused by the Arica Earthquake, estimated magnitude 8.5 - 9.0, in what is now Chile, then part of Peru
- Tsunamis also recorded in Hawaii, Japan, Australia, and New Zealand
- The earthquake caused 25,000 casualties and complete destruction in southern Peru
- 3 US ships anchored in the nearby port were completely destroyed
1869: Los Angeles and San Pedro Railroad
- Phineas Banning organized the first railroad in Southern California, connecting San Pedro Bay and Los Angeles, a 21 mile stretch for the steam powered trains, focusing on freight to and from the harbor
- The right of way between Wilmington and Los Angeles cost 8 dollars due to donations of land as owners saw the advantages and profits the railroad would bring
- Operations began on October 26, 1869 and included passengers
- Trains would leave Wilmington at 8am and 1pm, and Los Angeles at 10am and 4pm
- Passenger fares from LA to San Pedro were $1.50, and an extra $1.00 for transport from wharf to steamers offshore
- New communities sprang up along the route: Florence, Compton, Cerritos
- Establishments like the Exchange Hotel and the Railroad Saloon started up
- The Los Angeles to San Pedro leg would later become part of the Red Line
1871: Channel to Wilmington Dredged, Two Breakwaters Started
- US Army Engineers dredge the channel to Wilmington to depth of 10 feet to accommodate larger vessels
- Dredging caused a huge increase in port shipping
- Construction of two breakwaters also began at this time, one from from Rattlesnake Island (Terminal Island) to Dead Mans Island and the other, a small jetty reaching southeast from Timms Point, both completed in 1873
- Both the dredging and the breakwaters were initiated by Banning and instrumental to allowing San Pedro harbor to handle the increasing volume of trade
- Los Angeles port handles 50,000 tons of shipping
1873: Southern Pacific Railroad Acquires Los Angeles and San Pedro Railroad
- Southern Pacific Railroad was expanding its line south from San Francisco, and Los Angeles, a small town at that time, was concerned that the main line might bypass it
- City officials met Collis Huntington CEO of Southern Pacific to convince him to run the line through Los Angeles
- Southern Pacific agreed only if it could acquire the Los Angeles and San Pedro Railroad
- The measure was approved by county voters giving Southern Pacific a monopoly over the rail lines in Los Angeles and to the harbor
- Southern Pacific also agreed to build 50 miles of track to connect Los Angeles to outlying areas. An extensive network of rail lines throughout LA and connecting several distant towns was subsequently built: San Fernando Valley, Pomona, Anaheim.
- Southern Pacific extends its line to Timms Point
- Southern Pacific had a monopoly on Los Angeles rail transportation including to San Pedro Bay
- Development of future Los Angeles neighborhoods follow the tracks
- 1883: The Southern Pacific Wharf was built 1600 feet along the waterfront of San Pedro's downtown which made transport of goods more efficient
- 1891: Other railways begin to compete with Southern Pacific
1874: Point Fermin Lighthouse
- December 15: First lighthouse in San Pedro Bay, at Point Fermin, has inaugural lighting
- 1792: British explorer George Vancouver named the point at San Pedro Bay after Father Fermin de Lasuen, who was then the father-president of the California missions
- 1855: Banning and other community leaders selected Point Fermin for a lighthouse to accommodate increased merchant traffic and to mark San Pedro Bay. Delays due to lack of site title.
- 1869: Formal request submitted to Lighthouse Board after the Los Angeles and San Pedro Railroad was built
- 1872: Congress appropriates $20,000 for a lighthouse and fog signal, and final site was selected
- 1874: Lighthouse work commenced on February 21, finished on December 15
- The lighthouse is one of only 6 lighthouses ever built in the early Victorian architectural style house rather than the lonely pillar style lighthouse
- Only 2 other similar lighthouses remain — in San Francisco Bay and Hereford Light in New Jersey
- Point Fermin′s first lighthouse keepers were sisters Mary and Ella Smith who came from a lighthouse family
- The next lighthouse keeper was George Shaw, a retired sea captain, who gave regular tours
- In later years the lighthouse was a popular destination accessible by the Red Car stop near Point Fermin
- 1941: The light was extinguished due to fear it would serve as a beacon for enemy ships and planes
- WW2: The Fresnal lens and lantern room were removed from the lighthouse and placed into storage then forgotten and subsequently lost
- The Fresnal lens, which resembles a beehive made of glass, is a work of art that was used in lighthouses to send their beam of light many miles out to sea. Each Fresnal Lens is unique
- 2002: $2.6 Million renovation initiated, completed in 2004. Plumbing, electrical work, alarm systems, air conditioning, period furnishings, landscaping, and paint.
1881: James H. Dodson Residence Built
- Victorian house built in 1881 by the Sepulveda family as a wedding present for their daughter Rudecinda and her husband, James Dodson
- Private residence currently on 13th Street
- Original location: Corner of 7th and Beacon Streets
- Victorian Stick-Eastlake style
- Los Angeles Historic-Cultural Monument #147
1881: First Snowfall Recorded in Los Angeles
1881: Los Angeles Linked with East Coast via Railroad
- The railroad connection opens up new markets for Los Angeles County produce
- The major economy of Los Angeles County after the gold rush was agriculture. The majority of the county was cropland.
- Primary crops include wheat, citrus, grapes, deciduous fruits, rice, honey, also olives, apricots, asparagus, beans, beets, berries, cabbage, cauliflower, celery, corn, lettuce, melons, peaches, potatoes, pumpkins, squash, tomatoes, walnuts
- LA County was the first wine producing county in California, beekeeping was huge especially in the foothills
- 1909-1949: Los Angeles was the largest most bountiful agricultural county in the US
- Los Angeles drew many immigrants seeking agricultural jobs which paid more than other areas of the country
- The trains that shipped produce eastward brought immigrants from the eastern and midwestern US
- Many homes in the early 20th century had 1-3 acres for small farms
- Suburbs supplanted agricuture after World War 2 as incoming defense workers preferred stores, schools, roads
1883: Harbor View House Built (Formerly the Army and Navy YMCA)
- Army Navy YMCA built at 921 Beacon Street
- Five story Spanish Colonial Revival style offered 300 dormitory rooms, gymnasium, running track, banquet room, patio, pool, boxing and wrestling, and a coffee shop
- Army Navy YMCA provided recreation for servicemen stationed at Fort MacArthur (1914)
- Provided recreation and temporary quarters for over 4 million service men during World War II
- Visited by celebrities Bob Hope and Lucille Ball to entertain the troops
- 1947: Converted to civilian use offering accommodations to travelers and senior citizens
- 1967: Known as the Harbor View House, offering housing for the mentally ill
- Los Angeles Historic-Cultural Monument #252
1883: San Pedro Hotel
- The lavish, elegant San Pedro Hotel was built by Captain Dick Hillyer on 4th and Front (Harbor) Streets
- The first of several fires destroy many homes on Front Street
1883: San Pedro Cemetery
- San Pedro Cemetery was created when August Timms deeded 3 acres of land to San Pedro
- Timms paid $1 to reserve the central burial plot for himself
- 2411 S. Grand Avenue
- Many local pioneers are buried in this cemetery, with burial records dating back to 1879
- The cemetery name was changed to Harbor View Memorial Park
- 1908: 7 sailors from the USS Tennessee are buried here and memorialized with a small monument. They perished off the coast of California when a boiler tube exploded
- 1948: Green Hills Memorial Park is created at 27501 S. Western Ave.
1884: Old St. Peter′s Episcopal Church
- San Pedro′s oldest church opens, capacity = 100 parishioners
- Original location: Beacon Street between 2nd and 3rd Street on Nob Hill
- Until 1900: Was used for both Catholic and Protestant services
- 1904: Moved to 10th and Mesa in the Vinegar Hill area
- 1953: Church was left vacant after a new St. Peter′s was built
- 1960: Moved to Harbor View Memorial Park, W. 24th and S. Grand
- Post 2008: Moved to Green Hills Memorial Park
- Gothic Victorian architecture style
- The steeple was lighted at night by a lantern and served as a beacon for ships approaching the port
- Los Angeles Historic-Cultural Monument #53, 1967
1885: San Pedro Port Handles 500,000 Tons of Shipping
- 1871: Port handles 50,000 tons of shipping
- 1885: Port handles 500,000 tons of shipping
- Major increase in volume attritubed to population growth in Los Angeles along with port developments that accommodated the demand
- Port developments included dredging to 18 feet, the newly built breakwaters, port facilities such as docks, warehouses and the railroad
1886: George Huntington Peck Moves to San Pedro
- 1882: George Peck was a railroad conductor on the first Southern Pacific train into San Pedro
- Peck saw opportunity in San Pedro, quit his job and entered the real estate market, became a lumberman and home builder
- He bought up large tracts of land at bargain prices. He later parlayed the holdings into a fortune by subdividing and selling over two decades of town growth
- Peck started the George H. Peck Real Estate Company and acquired virtually all of San Pedro (including Point Fermin Park) and also Manhattan Beach
- 1888: Peck founded the Bank of San Pedro, the first bank in San Pedro
- Peck eventually sold 104 acres that became much of Fort MacArthur
- Peck also sold 804 acres in El Segundo to Standard Oil that became the refinery
- Much of his estate was left in trusts to care for his three chronically ill children with the remaining value defaulting to the city upon their deaths
- Peck donated land between 1929 and 1937 that became parks named for himself and three of his children, Rena, Alma, and Leland
- The parks were part of an initiative to promote San Pedro as a livable city of homes in addition to its reputation as a city of industry
- 1923: Peck sold the land that became Point Fermin Park
San Pedro has several Parks and Recreation Centers, total of almost 500 acres
- Plaza Park, Beacon between 7th & 13th: 1889, donated by Roman Sepulveda, views of the harbor, benches
- Daniels Field Sports Center, 835 W. 12th: ~1903 as sports field for SPHS purchased from James Dodson and Rudecinda Sepulveda, named for Ralph Chandler Daniels, popular SHPS principal 1913 - 1919, developed with stands etc. 1945, football field, soccer field, tennis courts, batting cages, golf cage, basketball
- Averill Park, 1300 Dodson Avenue: purchased 1920 by Averill brothers / Weymouth from Rudecinda Sepulveda, 10 acres
- Alma Park, 21st & Meyler: Peck donation 1921, 2.4 acres, playground, picnic tables, benches
- Leland Recreation Center, 863 Herbert: Peck donation 1921, 17 acres, baseball, basketball, volleyball, soccer
- Point Fermin Park, 807 Paseo Del Mar: 1923, 37 acres, sold by Peck, Point Fermin Lighthouse, Band Shell. Peck used an office for local sales, park contained a restaurant, boxing arena, roller rink, dance pavillion, and the band shell. Was initally called Peck Park.
- Wilders Addition Park, 607 W. Paseo Del Mar: 1926, 7 acres annex to Pt. Fermin Park, donated by the Wilder family
- Cabrillo Beach, 3800 Stephen M. White Drive: 1928, Cabrillo Marine Aquarium, Bathhouse, boat launch ramp, picnic tables, volleyball
- Peck Park, 560 N. Western: donated by George Peck 1929 with additional donations in subsequent years, Community Center, pool, skate park, baseball, basketball, 15 acres hiking trails
- Rena Park, 510 Leland: Peck donation 1929-1937, play area, picnic tables
- Bandini Canyon Park, Sepulveda & Marshall Court: Peck donation 1930s, 5 acres, hiking
- Harbor Highlands Park, 825 Capitol: Play area, baseball, picnic tables
- Friendship Park, 1850 W. 9th: 123 acres, nature center, views of the harbor, Catalina, San Gabriel and San Bernardino Mountain ranges
- Bogdanovich Recreation Center, 1957, 1920 Cumbre: 20 acres (formerly San Pedro Park), playground, baseball, indoor basketball, soccer
- Lookout Point Park, S. Gaffey & 36th: 1958, views of LA Harbor, Catalina Island
- Angels Gate Recreation Center, 3701 S. Gaffey: 1977, 64 acres, Korean Friendship Bell, Fort MacArthur Museum
- Field of Dreams Park, Gaffey & Westmont: soccer fields
- Joan Milke Flores Park, 3601 S. Gaffey: LA City Council member 1981-1993, replaced John Gibson, Cultural Arts Center, Korean Friendship Bell, bike path, hiking, picnic tables
- Royal Palms State Beach, Western & Paseo Del Mar: 30 acres, donated by federal government 1997
- 22nd Street Park, 140 W. 22nd: 2008 on former Union tank farm: 18 acres, paths, 12 acre meadow
- John S. Gibson Memorial Park, 5th and Harbor: Fishing Industry, American Merchant Marines, Harry Bridges memorials
- White Point Park, 1801 West Paseo Del Mar: Nature Preserve
1887: Electric Trolleys, ″Streetcars″, Begin to Compete with Steam Trains
- Electric trolleys first appear in Los Angeles and a network of streetcars throughout LA begin to compete with the steam trains
- Electric trolley lines in San Pedro on the main thoroughfares
- Trolley lines on at least Pacific, Beacon, Harbor, Mesa, 6th and 7th Streets in San Pedro
1888: San Pedro Incorporates as a City
- Post Civil War economic growth sparked an increase in population and a resulting boom in housing in the 1880's
- 1882: Plan for the city was laid out in grid pattern that still exists today
- Initial plan for city was 650 acres along the waterfront, from 1st Street to roughly 22nd street and west to Pacific
- Nob Hill near 1st and Harbor drew the civic leaders and rich
- 1886: Vinegar Hill, between 8th and 12th, Palos Verdes and Pacific, roughly the area above Plaza Park, drew the bankers, real estate developers, lawyers, and civic leaders
- Saloon Keepers Hill on the 200 block of 9th
- February 25, 1888: An election was held on incorporation — 145 votes for incorporation, 57 votes against. A board of trustees was elected at the same time.
- Major celebration ensued with bonfires, balloons, bands playing triumphant music
- March 1, 1888: The City of San Pedro was officially incorporated.
- March 5, 1888: E.W. Webster was chosen as the first president of the board since he had 20 percent more votes than the other candidates
- The president of the board had similar powers that a mayor would normally enjoy
- The City of San Pedro encompassed just the old downtown business district
- 1888: San Pedro population: 1400
- 1889: Plaza Park established, running along Harbor and Beacon between 7th and 13th
- The incorporated City of San Pedro would last until 1909, just 21 years
- The rest of the waterfront area between 1st and 22nd would fill in over the next 3 decades
- The newly formed chamber of commerce immediately began campaigning for a deep water harbor at San Pedro
- A request was sent to Congress requesting $200,000 to complete improvement and development of the inner harbor
- Another request sent to Congress requested $4 million for extension of the existing breakwaters
1888: Land Claimed by US as Military Reservation, Precursor to Fort MacArthur
- President Grover Cleveland designated an area overlooking San Pero Bay as an unnamed military reservation to improve the defenses of the expanding Los Angeles Harbor area
- War Department assumed control of the land adjacent to the harbor
- Additional land was claimed as military reservation in 1897 and 1910
- 1914: Reservation was designated Fort MacArther
1889: Mary Star of the Sea Catholic Church Established
- Initially a small wooden building on West Ninth Street
- 1905: Larger church built on Vinegar Hill, NW corner of 9th and Centre Streets
- 1958: Present church built at 870 W. 8th Street
- Known as the Fisherman′s Parish due to its relationship with the port and fishing community
- Bronze 10′ statue of Mary mounted on top of the church′s bell tower was a gift of the parish′s fishermen and overlooks the harbor and is lit at night
1890: Oil Discovered in Los Angeles
- Oil was discovered in Los Angeles near present day Dodger Stadium
- 1892: First oil well drilled, Edward Doheny
- Approximately 200 oil companies start up, with over 1250 wells drilled
- 1901: Peak year, production dramatically declined after that
- 1903: Prices for oil dropped to 15 cents per barrel due to oil flooding the market
- Edward Clampitt, an Eastern businessman, was one of the principle operators
- The most successful entrepreneur was Emma Summers, the ″Oil Queen of California″, a piano teacher, who used her earnings to purchase a half interest in a well in the current Civic Center area for $700, then shrewdly bought several other wells on credit. With continued success she purchased more wells, many times forcing other operators out of business, all the while continuing with her piano lessons.
- The Wilmington Oil Field, which runs beneath Long Beach and San Pedro, was discovered in 1932
1891: Rattlesnake Island Renamed to Terminal Island
- The island was originally called Isla Raza de Beuna Gente
- 1848: Renamed to Rattlesnake Island after the US defeated Mexico in the Mexican-American war. Floods would wash rattlesnakes downstream from Los Angeles and deposit them on the island shores.
- 1891: The Los Angeles Terminal Railroad Company purchased the island and subsequently built a railway. The island was renamed to match the company name.
- Not only did the Los Angeles Terminal Railroad Company begin to compete with Souther Pacific but several other railroads begin to compete as well
1892: Avalon Developed as a Summer Resort
- The Banning brothers, sons of Phineas, begin developing Avalon as a summer resort
- They build numerous attractions including a dance pavilion, addition to a hotel, an aquarium and a gambling club
- 1915: A fire destroys many structures
- 1919: The brothers forced to sell due to the fire combined with declining tourism resulting from the Great War, World War I. They sell to William Wrigley who invests in infrastructure.
1893: California Fish Company
- Golden Gate Packing Company moves its operation from San Francisco to LA Harbor due to the demise of overfished sardine
- Golden Gate re-establishes itself in San Pedro as the California Fish Company
- First cannery in Los Angeles Harbor
