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• Spanish Colonization
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• Transition
• Industrial Expansion
• Postwar Growth
• Redevelopment Vision

Industrial Expansion and Growth 1897 – 1946

1897: Free Harbor Fight Endorses San Pedro Bay as the Port of Los Angeles

• Collis Huntington and the Southern Pacific Railroad had worked to promote the Santa Monica area as the Los Angeles Harbor by purchasing large tracts of land and building the one mile Long Wharf in Santa Monica, 1893, in an effort to impose a monopoly on trade
• Los Angeles took Huntington to court, determined to fight the robber baron. The court battle lasted several years.
• US Senator Stephen M. White, along with Los Angeles Times publisher Harrison Gray Otis, pushed for federal support of the Port of Los Angeles at San Pedro Bay
• The seven-year Free Harbor Fight was settled when San Pedro Bay was endorsed by a commission headed by Rear Admiral John C. Walker to become the deep water port for Los Angeles
• The River and Harbor Bill also prevented Huntington from being involved in either port
• San Pedro became a ′free harbor′ independent of the Southern Pacific Railroad
• A statue was commissioned for Stephen M. White when he passed away in 1901
• The statue resided at the corner of 1st and Hill Streets in downtown Los Angeles pointing in the direction of the harbor for almost three decades
• It was temporarily moved to a utility yard, for consturction of the Metro Rail
• The statue was then placed on the Hall of Records lawn near Los Angeles City Hall
• The statue was moved to Stephen M. White Drive near the entrance to Cabrillo Beach in 1989

1899: Port Development and Expansion with Federal Funds, Free Harbor Jubilee

• April 26 & 27: Free Harbor Jubilee. 20,000 people gather to celebrate the Free Harbor and the first load of boulders is dumped (April 26). Cannon shots, barbeques, and fireworks on the first day of celebration. A floral parade followed by a parade of illuminated boats occurred on the second day. Breakwater construction began with large boulders shipped in from Catalina.
• Plans were developed after the Free Harbor Fight to modernize and expand the port with federal funds, $3.9 Million. The port needed extensive investment as it was originally shallow with huge mud flats.
• 1906: Los Angeles annexes the harbor, a 16 mile stretch from SP to Wilmington
• 1907: LA Board of Harbor Commissioners founded
• 1909: LA Harbor area was annexed to Los Angeles, becomes Port of Los Angeles
• 1911: Completion of the 8500′ first section of breakwater
• 1912: Broadening and dredging the main channel to 30 feet deep
• 1913: Angel′s Gate lighthouse completed
• 1913: Wharfs, piers, and warehouses expanded and completed
• 1937: 18,500′ middle section of breakwater completed

1899: Muller House Built

• Colonial Revival house with leaded glass
• Now Muller House Museum at 1542 S. Beacon St.
• Los Angeles Historic-Cultural Monument #253

1901: Pacific Electric Railway Company (Red Cars)

• Created by Henry Huntington and banker Isaias Hellman. Huntington had created trolley lines in San Francisco. In operation until 1961.
• A series of business transactions with Southern Pacific Railroad resulted in Huntington acquiring the Pacific Electric Company while Hellman divested the banking unit of Southern Pacific that eventually became the Wells Fargo bank.
• 1903: Los Angeles to San Pedro Red Car line was built
• The first line from Los Angeles came via Gardena down North Gaffey, around the West Basin by Front (Harbor) Street and then around the hills downtown
• Several San Pedro stops including Cabrillo Beach and the terminus at Point Fermin Park near Shepard and Gaffey, in the building where Walker Cafe is currently located
• The Pacific Electric Railway was the most extensive in the world with 2160 daily trains over 1000 miles
• Three travel options from San Pedro:
• To Long Beach and down the coast through Huntington Beach
• To Lomita, Torrance, through Compton and over to Hermosa and up the coast to Santa Monica
• To South Gate, Los Angeles, over to West Covina and on to San Bernardino
• Passenger travel was a loss leader, as profits were made mostly by land acquisition and development
• Towns formed along the network of railroad lines
• Traffic congestion in LA during the late 1930′s caused the Automobile Club of Southern California to plan an elevated freeway and motorway system
• The Red Car rail system steadily declined from the 1920′s, in favor of the automobile, and ultimately folded in 1961

1903: New Tuna Canning Method Developed

• Albert Halfhill, co-owner of the California Fish Company, developed a method of canning albacore with steam and packing it in vegetable oil.
• Wilbur Wood was also involved with creating the new canning process and has been called the Father of the Modern Tuna Industry
• The new process gave the tuna a more acceptable taste and appearance to replace the depleted sardines
• Previously tuna was not popular and was known as ″trash fish″
• 1905: Depletion of sardines led to a major shift in the market to albacore tuna

1903: San Pedro High School Established

• San Pedro High School did not have its own building when it was established
• SPHS originated on the 2nd floor of the Sixteenth Street School (now Fifteenth Street School)
• 1906: The high school was relocated to its own high school building at 1221 South Gaffey St
• 1933: The Long Beach earthquake damaged the Gaffey Street high school
• 1933: A new new high school was built at the current SPHS site, 1001 w. 15th Street
• San Pedro High School mascot is the Pirate

San Pedro schools:
• 1885: Fifth Street School, San Pedro′s first school, a wooden schoolhouse located between 5th and 6th Street on Centre Street.
• Sixteenth Street School built sometime between 1885 and 1905
• 1905: Barton Hill School was built to meet the needs of San Pedro′s growing population. Barton Hill was named after Alberta Barton, a San Pedro postmaster.
• 1909: Sixteenth Street School, the second oldest school until 1927 changed its name to Fifteenth Street School when San Pedro was incorporated into Los Angeles and the LA school district already had a 16th Street School. Fifteenth Street School is now the oldest school in San Pedro.
• 1912: Point Fermin Elementary School opened in a portable bungalow at its current site.
• 1917: Barton Hill School was expanded.
• 1919: Fifth Street School — Brick building replaced the original wooden structure
• 1922: Sixteenth Street School was destroyed by fire. Classes were held in tents while the new building was built on the same site.
• 1922: Point Fermin Elementary moves into its new 2 story building at its same site
• 1924: Bandini Street School opens on land purchased from George Peck
• 1928: Richard Henry Dana Jr. High School established
• 1923: Leland Street Elementary School opens after a petition by local residents for a nearby school.
• 1927: Fifth Street School was moved to Cabrillo Avenue into a new building and became Cabrillo Street School. Reason for the move: In the 1920′s the growing central business neighborhood on 5th and 6th Streets surrounded the school and it was deemed not a good environment for the students. The new site was chosen as San Pedro population had been expanding west of Pacific Avenue.
• 1928: Dana Junior High School
• 1933: The Long Beach earthquake damaged all the schools in SP except for Barton Hill. Barton Hill was reinforced and covered with stucco. Classes at the other schools were held in tents and bungalows while the buildings were restored to earthquake standards.
• 1959: South Shores Elementary
• 1960: Dodson Junior High School
• 1961: Taper Avenue Elementary

1905: First Automobile Drives into San Pedro and Other Milestones

• What was claimed to be the first automobile, a Maxwell, drives into San Pedro. The driver, Robert Hansen, is a manager of a bicycle business.
• The second car driven into San Pedro was driven by Dr. Gwaltney
• In 1905 San Pedro had 4 banks, 5 lumber companies, 11 churches
• Other developments:
• 1898: County road to Redondo Beach around Palos Verdes is built
• 1905: Pacific Electric established a station at 6th and Harbor. Additional Red Car lines to Crescent Avenue, La Rambla area.
• 1906: San Pedro Hospital opens at 5th and Palos Verdes
• 1906: DiCarlo Bakery opens for business at 15th and Centre
• 1907: Pacific Electric establishes Red Car lines to the breakwater and Point Fermin
• 1907: San Pedro has 3 telephone companies providing service
• 1908: Most of San Pedro businesses and homes have electric power
• 1908: Delivery of mail to businesses and homes begins
• 1910: The first international air meet occurs at Dominguez Field in Rancho San Pedro. The first plane to fly over San Pedro draws a spectacle with crowds rushing to watch and church bells ringing.

1906: Harbor Gateway Annexed by City of Los Angeles

• Narrow strip of land that runs from Los Angeles to San Pedro, 5.14 square miles
• December 26: Annexation occurs to secure the Los Angeles to San Pedro connection
• Land annexed in anticipation of taking over, a few years later, the independent cities of Wilmington and San Pedro in order to create the Port of Los Angeles
• Was known for years as the ″city strip″, and the ″shoestring strip″
• 1985: Given the name of Harbor Gateway
• Initially open fields, factories were soon built on the land
• Currently trucking, shipping, and logistics companies are based in the Harbor Gateway

1906: San Pedro News Starts Publication of Daily Newspaper

• San Pedro News: 1906 — 1928
• San Pedro Pilot: 1917 — 1928
• San Pedro News-Pilot: 1928 — 1998 (merger between SP News and SP Pilot)

1906: San Pedro Library Opens

• San Pedro library built in Plaza Park on Beacon Street with Carnegie Foundation Library funding
• Opens on June 5
• The Andrew Carnegie Foundation funded at least 1689 libraries in the US between 1883 and 1921
• The San Pedro grant provided $10,000 for the construction
• When Los Angeles annexed San Pedro in 1909, the library became the San Pedro branch of the LA library system
• During WW1, the library was active in supplying library outreach services to military ships in the war effort and to the merchant marines
• A new library was built in 1924 at Gaffey and 10th street
• The library was rebuilt in 1949 and 1983
• The original building housed the American Merchant Marine Library, but was damaged during the 1933 Long Beach earthquake
• The building was eventually torn down in 1966

1906: San Pedro Opera House Opens Ushering in Moving Picture and Theatre Era

• San Pedro Opera House is the first of 16 theaters in San Pedro
• 1906: San Pedro Opera House, 211 6th St, no operas, local theatrical productions
• 1907 — 1922: Star Theatre, Center of 5th & Beacon
• 1907: Electric Theatre, stage and moving pictures, 205 6th Street
• 1908: Lyric Theatre, Beacon Street between 5th and 6th , Vaudeville & motion pictures
• 1910: Fisher′s Theatre, corner of Beacon and 4th, moving pictures, became Idle Hour Theatre
• 1912 — 1915: Alhambra Theater, 515 S. Beacon
• 1912: Globe Theater, 204 W. 6th Street, Stage and Vaudeville
• 1914 — 1923: Majestic Theatre, 407 S. Beacon
• 1917 — 1928: Empire Theatre, 124 W. 5th St., Stage then moving pictures
• 1919: Victoria Theatre, 115 W. 6th St., Moving pictures, vaudeville, later Del Rio, then boxing
• 1920 — 1976: Strand Theatre, 1135 S. Pacific, initially California Pacific Theatre
• 1923 — 1956: Cabrillo Theatre, 115 W. 7th Street, Vaudeville, orchestra & 1st run moving pictures
• 1924 — 1952: Barton Theatre, 211 N. Pacific, 2nd run moving pictures
• 1924: Royal Playhouse, 1016 W. 7th St.
• 1931: Warner Grand, 478 W. 6th St.
• 1949 - 1982: San Pedro Drive-In, 1811 N. Gaffey

1906: First Transpacific Yacht Race Launches from San Pedro

• The first Transpacific Yacht Race to Hawaii was planned to launch from San Francisco
• The 1906 San Francisco earthquake alters the original plan to launch from there
• June 11: The 1906 race launches from Point Fermin
• Commodore H.H. Sinclair aboard the Luline wins the first race
• The race is hosted by the Los Angeles Yacht Club
• The Yacht Race launches from the Point Fermin buoy every other year in a race that ends at Diamond Head in Hawaii, about 2225 miles away

1907: Port of Los Angeles Becomes Official

• December 9: Los Angeles Board of Harbor Commissioners is formed
• 5 member board appointed by the mayor of Los Angeles and approved by the City Council
• Official founding of the Port of Los Angeles

1908: Great White Fleet Visits Los Angeles Harbor

• April 18: The Great White Fleet visits LA harbor to great fanfare
• President Theodore Roosevelt′s concept to demonstrate growing American power and naval capability throughout the world
• 16 battleships and several escorts sail from Virginia as ships circumnavigate the world 12/16/1907 — 2/22/1909 making courtesy visits to several nations
• The fleet consisted of modern steel fighting vessels that were painted white for this journey
• 43,000 nautical miles were covered and made 20 port calls on 6 continents
• The ships were staffed by 14,000 sailors
• All of San Pedro walked to the beaches while hundreds of people took the Red Car from LA
• Swarms of people arrived in San Pedro to view the event and cheer the fleet from the beaches
• To the sailors it seemed as if all of Los Angeles had turned out, more than were at San Diego the previous day
• The ships anchored for the night in a single column in the outer harbor and put on a searchlight show for the crowds
• The sailors docked at 5th Street Landing to partake in the festivities
• The officers and men were treated to a giant Spanish barbecue, balloon rides, and viewed a number of prize fights
• The Red Car was overtaxed in bringing people back to LA, many stayed and camped overnight on the bluff overlooking the bay
• Some of the ships took artillery practice outside the harbor
• The fleet split into 4 divisions to visit Long Beach, San Pedro, Redondo Beach, and Santa Monica
• The next stop for the fleet was a visit to San Francisco, then Seattle before crossing the Pacific to Hawaii on their journey to circumnavigate the globe

1909: San Pedro Consolidates with Los Angeles

• San Pedro voters approved a measure to consolidate with Los Angeles
• August 28: The cities of San Pedro and Wilmington are annexed to the City of Los Angeles
• This brings city services and funding for further development of the harbor
• Major commodities through the port: oil and lumber

1909: Harbor Improvements with Federal Funds ($3.9M)

• 1912: Completion of a two mile breakwater
• 1912: Broadening to 800 feet wide and dredging of the main channel to 35 feet deep
• 1913: Construction of Angel′s Gate Lighthouse
• Angel′s Gate Lighthouse: 73′ Romanesque tower marks the entrance to the port at the end of the 9230′ breakwater
• 1915: Fish Harbor begins construction
• Completion of numerous wharfs, piers, and warehouses
• Outer Breakwater, Inner Breakwater for Terminal Island started
• 1937: Middle breakwater completed
• 1973: Lighthouse updated with automation, eliminating the need for a light keeper

1910: Explosion on Wharf Startles San Pedro

• September 2: Can of gasoline aboard the launch Iroquois explodes at the end of 5th Street
• Major damage to the wharf, a paint shop and a ferry destroyed
• Fire is contained by a private salt water pumping plant owned by the National Lumber Company

1912: Cannery Growth and Transactions

• 1912: California Tuna Canning Company Opens, Wilbur Wood, owner
• 1914: California Tuna Canning Company purchased by Frank Van Camp
• Van Camp renames the company to Van Camp Sea Food Company
• Van Camp company would later be known for its Chicken of the Sea product
• 1915: California Fish Company′s first building destroyed by fire

1913: Port of Los Angeles Infrastructure Improvements Completed

• 1911: Completion of the 8500′ first section of breakwater
• 1912: Broadening and dredging the main channel to 30 feet deep
• 1912: Southern Pacific Railroad completes its first wharf, enhancing shipping efficiencies
• 1913: Angel′s Gate lighthouse completed, unlike any on the west coast with heavily reinforced concrete and steel shell structure, replete with a powerful beacon and a diaphone fog signal known as Moaning Maggie
• 1913: Wharfs, piers, and warehouses expanded and completed

1913: Los Angeles Aqueduct

• November: The Los Angeles Aqueduct construction is completed
• Aqueduct delivers water from the Owens River in the eastern Sierra to Los Angeles using gravity. Water is stored in the San Fernando aquifer.
• $1.5 million bond, followed by a $24.5 million bond, construction starts in 1908
• Principle architect: William Mulholland
• Very controversial as it ends agriculture in the Owens Valley and adversely affects Mono Lake
• Misstatements, deceptive tactics and underhanded methods were used to acquire water rights
• Allows Los Angeles to support its massive population growth in a semi-arid location with unreliable rainfall. Without water from this aqueduct the environment would not be capable of supporting the Los Angeles population growth.
• The increased water flow provides support for LA to grow from 61 square miles in 1908 to 440 square miles in 1928. Previously the increased population in outlying areas caused local wells and creeks to dry up.
• Changes farming in LA from wheat to agriculture supported by irrigation such as orchards and citrus groves, along with squash, beans, corn. The orchards and croplands were later supplanted with suburbanization.
• Along with the railroad, one of two major infrastructure developments that supported the growth of Los Angeles

1914: Panama Canal Opens, Major Increase in Trade at Port of Los Angeles

• Panama Canal opens causing a major increase in trade through the Port of Los Angeles
• Port of LA becomes the natural port-of-call for most transpacific and coastal shipping
• Port of LA has a unique strategic position for international trade, and full capability to handle an increased volume of commerce, a clear advantage over other ports
• The recent port infrastructure improvements (1911 — 1913) have primed the Port of LA to take advantage of the increased flow of traffic via the Panama Canal: Completion of the first section of breakwater, broadening and dredging the main channel, Angel′s Gate Lighthouse, Southern Pacific completes its first major wharf
• Commerce includes oil, lumber, cotton, citrus crops, steel, fishing, canning, and ship building
• SS Missourian becomes the first vessel to dock at San Pedro after passing through the Panama Canal

1914: Fort MacArthur

• October 31: Fort MacArthur formally founded
• Named after General Arthur MacArthur Jr., whose son, General Douglas MacArthur, served as a 5 star general in WWII
• Arthur MacArthur Jr. joined the North in the Civil War as a 17 year old first lieutenant in the Wisconsin Volunteer Infantry Regiment
• Saw action in 5 major battles, including the Battle of Missionary Ridge where as an 18 year old he inspired his regiment by seizing and planting the regimental flag on the crest of Missionary Ridge and shouting ″On Wisconsin″ at a critical point in the battle, received the Medal of Honor
• Severely wounded after being shot in the chest and leg in the Battle of Franklin
• Moving up gradually through the ranks, MacArthur was appointed as Major General and Military Governor of the Philippines after winning the Battle of Manila and other successes during the Philippine-American War, became Commander of the Pacific Division, then the highest ranking officer in the Army
• Fort MacArthur initially became a training center
• 1917: The first large gun batteries for harbor defense installed
• Test firings of these guns were extremely unpopular with nearby residents as the concussion shattered windows in buildings for miles around
• In WW2 Fort MacArthur had a Harbor Entrance Command Post and a Harbor Defense Command Post for US seacoast defense of shipbuilding factories, giant aircraft factories, the Huntington Beach Oil Field, and the San Pedro Bay harbor
• In the Cold War Fort MacArthur was a key part of the West Coast′s anti-aircraft defenses Nike missiles
• During the Korean War the fort′s Radar Network site provided surveillance for the area from 1950 to 1952
• Fort MacArthur was eventually decommissioned
• 1977: Ownership of the fort′s Upper and Lower Reservations transferred to Los Angeles
• Lower Reservation was transformed into San Pedro′s Cabrillo Marina
• Upper Reservation was transformed into Angels Gate Cultural Center
• Middle reservation transferred to the US Air Force in 1982 for administration and housing

1914: First of over 300 Movies Filmed in San Pedro

• Motion picture studios relocate to the growing Los Angeles area, specifically Hollywood
• The Squaw Man: 1914, 1st Hollywood movie, first movie for Cecil B. DeMille, filmed in San Pedro
• Fatty and Mabel Adrift: 1916 (San Pedro Harbor)
• The Little American: 1917
• Tarzan of the Apes: 1918
• King Kong: 1933 (San Pedro Harbor becomes Skull Island)
• Treasure Island: 1934 (Catalina)
• Riffraff: 1936 (San Pedro Harbor)
• It′s a Mad Mad Mad Mad World: 1963 (Peck Park, Portuguese Point, San Pedro Harbor)
• Escape from Planet of the Apes: 1971 (San Pedro Harbor)
• Chinatown: 1974 (Point Fermin Park, Portuguese Bend Riding Club)
• Close Encounters of the Third Kind: 1977 (Vincent Thomas Bridge toll booth)
• Private Benjamin: 1980 (Fort MacArthur, Angel′s Gate Park)
• Raging Bull: 1980
• Swing Shift: 1984 (Fort MacArthur, Portuguese Bend, 815 S. Grand)
• To Live and Die in LA: 1985 (Vincent Thomas Bridge, Utro′s, Terminal Island Freeway)
• Some Kind of Wonderful: 1987 (San Pedro High School)
• A Few Good Men: 1992 (Fort MacArthur, San Pedro Harbor)
• Outbreak: 1995 (SS Lane Victory)
• The Rock: 1996 (285 W. 7th Street)
• G.I. Jane: 1997 (SS Lane Victory)
• Amistad: 1998 (coastal area)
• The Big Lebowski: 1998 (scattering of ashes off bluff)
• Charlie′s Angels: 2000 (Vincent Thomas Bridge, cliffs near Marineland of the Pacific)
• Gone in 60 Seconds: 2000 (Vincent Thomas bridge)
• Pearl Harbor: 2001 (Warner Grand Theater)
• Surviving Gilligan′s Island: 2001
• Catch Me If You Can: 2002
• Pirates of the Caribbean: Curse of the Black Pearl — 2003 (Marineland of the Pacific)
• 50 First Dates: 2004 (Cabrillo Beach)
• Crash: 2004 (3500 S. Gaffey, San Pedro Harbor)
• Flags of our Fathers: 2006 (SS Lane Victory, San Pedro Harbor)
• The Curious Case of Benjamin Button: 2008 (SS Lane Victory)
• Marley and Me: 2008 (Paseo del Mar near Point Fermin)
• 500 Days of Summer: 2009 (Point Fermin Park)
• Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides: 2011

1915: RedMen Hall Built

• Initially built as a library as a two-story American Craftsman style structure with wood paneling and an exposed beam ceiling
• Fraternal organization drawing customs used by Native Americans — the Improved Order of Red Men, 1 of 7 in the US
• 543 Shepard Avenue
• Los Angeles Historic-Cultural Monument (HCM #751 in 2003)

1916: Fishing and Canning Industry Growth

• 1916: The purse seiner was introduced, increasing efficiency in fishing
• 1916: 16 tuna companies in Southern California had 1900 workers and valued at approximately $1 million
• 1917: The French Sardine Company was founded, later becomes Star-Kist with the largest cannery in the world
• 1917: First Municipal Fish Market established
• 1920′s: Huge fleet of fishing boats, most with purse seiners

1917: Increase in Trade Spurs Port Development

• 1917 — 1930′s: Port development increases dramatically to stay ahead of the growing commerce
• 1917: Warehouse No. 1 constructed: 6 story warehouse played an important part in the establishment of Los Angeles as a major center of international traffic
• Distributors construct large number of warehouses and transit sheds
• Vast railroad network developed around the Harbor and Los Angeles

1917: Los Angeles Shipbuilding & Dry Dock Company Founded

• Original name — Los Angeles Shipbuilding & Dry Dock Company, later becomes Todd Shipyard
• Founded during the WWI shipping boom, survived bankruptcy during the Great Depression and built Auxiliary ships during WWII
• In operation from 1917 through 1989
• Built 130 ships during that period
• Seized by the Navy in 1943 under executive order from President Roosevelt when it was discovered that shipyard conditions were not optimal, no modern industrial lines were in operation, and between $5 million and $7 million were unaccounted for on a repair ship under construction.
• Management was turned over to Todd Shipyards, which operated a number of shipyards throughout the US
• Todd′s Shipyard subsequently purchased the yard outright after the war
• Employment peaked during WWII with 20,000 workers
• Ranked 26th among US corporations in value of World War II production contracts
• Built Disneyland′s Mark Twain riverboat in 1955
• Closed in 1989
• Vigor Industrial purchased Todd for $130 million in 2011

1917: White Point Hot Spring Resort

• The White Point Hot Spring Resort opened at White Point
• Tojiro Tagami and brother Tamiji in partnership with Ramon Sepulveda, built a resort with a 2 story 50 room hotel, restaurant, bathhouse, hot sulfur springs, 3 salt water plunges, and an enclosed boating area
• The resort thrived as one of the most popular resorts through the 20′s and early 30′s
• 1928: A storm damaged the pool
• 1933: Business began to suffer due to the 1933 Long Beach Earthquake which blocked the spring, but also the Great Depression had an adverse effect starting in the early 1930′s into the late 19302s
• During World War II the federal government took control of the resort and it was merged with nearby Fort MacArthur
• 1960: The state of California bought the White Point beach area back in 1960 and it became Royal Palms State Beach
• 1995: The beach was acquired by the county of Los Angeles and it became Royal Palms County Beach

1918: Morgan House, Harbor Area YWCA

• The Morgan House, American Craftsman building designed by Julia Morgan, opens
• Harbor Area YWCA
• 437 W. 9th Street
• Los Angeles Historic-Cultural Monument #186

1919: US Navy Battle Fleet Home Port

• Woodrow Wilson transferred 200 US Navy ships of the US Navy Battle Fleet from the Atlantic to the Pacific, anchored in San Pedro Bay on August 9
• 1914: A submarine base was estabilished in San Pedro Harbor with several submarines stationed here
• The deep port, cheap local availability of fuel and consistently good weather allowing frequent gunnery exercises provided benefits for basing the fleet in San Pedro
• 1931: Additional heavy cruisers of the Scouting Force were added
• 1932: Naval review demonstrated US power in the midst of a Far East crisis. More than 120 naval vessels extended from Point Fermin to Malibu. An estimated 250,000 people from San Pedro to Redondo Beach came out to the shoreline to view the demonstration.
• By 1934, 14 battleships, 2 aircraft carriers, 14 cruisers, and 16 support ships were based in San Pedro
• Battleships: Wyoming, Arkansas, New York, Texas, Nevada, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Arizona, New Mexico, Mississippi, Idaho, Tennessee, California, Colorado, Maryland, West Virginia
• Aircraft Carriers: Saratoga and Lexington
• On April 1, 1940 the Pacific Fleet force sailed to Hawaii
• Remaining in San Pedro through WWII: the fleet post office, supply depot, fuel depot, degaussing range, ECM repair facility and naval training schools for small craft, fire fighters, merchant ship communications, and anti-submarine attack.

1919: Catalina Island Purchased by William Wrigley, Chicago Cubs Spring Training

• William Wrigley and several other investors purchase Catalina from the Banning family
• Catalina is then developed with infrastructure, the Casino, several attractions, including the Cubs, and promoted for tourism
• 1921 — 1951: The Chicago Cubs, owned by Wrigley, hold spring training on Catalina Island in Avalon, with the exception of the war years 1942 - 1945
• The field and clubhouse are built in Avalon Canyon, field is never named, but local townspeople call it ″Wrigley Field″ (during this time Cubs Stadium in Chicago is called Weeghman Park)
• 19 Hall of Famers trained with the Cubs at Wrigley Field including Grover Cleveland Alexander, Dizzy Dean, Rogers Hornsby, Joe McCarthy, Gabby Hartnett, and Hack Wilson

1919: First Baptist Church of San Pedro Built

• Beaux Arts Classical church with Egyptian columns and fine stained glass windows
• 555 W. 7th Street
• Los Angeles Historic-Cultural Monument #505

1919: Battery Osgood — Farley

• Concrete bunker used for coastal artillery defense, in use until 1944
• Single two gun emplacement, fourteen inch guns would fire into Catalina channel
• Guns have 14 mile range, the concussion would cause damage to local structures
• 3601 Gaffey Street, Fort MacArthur
• Los Angeles Historic-Cultural Monument #515

1919: Battery Barlow — Saxton

• Concrete bunker used for coastal artillery defense, in use until 1945
• Four two gun emplacements for a total of 8 twelve inch mortars
• Guns have 11 mile range, could be turned 360 degrees to protect Fort MacArthur from the rear
• 3601 Garry Street, Fort MacArthur

1919: Chaplin Airlines

• Chaplin Air Lines, owned by actor Charlie Chaplin′s half-brother, Sid Chaplin and Emory Rogers
• Offered flights on their 3 seat Curtiss Seagull flying boat seaplane from Los Angeles Harbor to Catalina for $85 roundtrip
• First regularly scheduled passenger service in the US
• First aviation franchise in Los Angeles Harbor
• They would also carry bundles of the Los Angeles Examiner
• The business closed after only two seasons due to tighter regulations for pilot licensing and implementation of taxes on planes and flights

1920′s: Port of Los Angeles Surpasses San Francisco as West Coast′s Busiest Seaport

• Port of Los Angeles becomes the leading port in tonnage on the west coast
• 1924: Shipped 26.5 tons
• The port follows only New York in foreign export tonnage
• The port experiences an economic boom in the 1920′s
• Lumber and oil are leading shipments, citrus is also shipped
• The maritime and fishing industry attracts immigrants from multiple countries: Portugal, Japan, Norway, Greece, Yugoslavia, Italy, etc.

1921: Submarine Sinks in LA Harbor

• September 26: Submarine USS R-6 sank in the outer harbor at its moorings
• Cause: Malfunction in one of her torpedo tubes
• Refloated, used in the motion picture, The Eleventh Hour, then reassigned to Hawaii

1922: First Radio Stations KFI, KHJ, and KNX Debut

1923: San Pedro Maritime Strike (Liberty Hill Strike)

• April 25 — May 24: The Industrial Workers of the World (IWW), also known as ″Wobblies″, led a nationwide strike of longshoremen with the pivotal points in Los Angeles and New York.
• Labor relations in the Pacific coast maritime industry had been in constant turmoil since the turn of the century with an open shop culture dominant in Los Angeles
• At the time this strike was the biggest challenge to the open shop culture
• Approximately 1500 San Pedro longshoremen walked out, with estimates as high as 3000
• The walkout tied up about 90 ships in the Port of Los Angeles
• Ongoing negotiations were not successful
• Police started rounding up and jailing known IWW agitators
• Additional police were dispatched to the docks to maintain order
• Local free-speech meetings were held at Liberty Hill, near 5th Street and Harbor Blvd
• Upton Sinclair and the ACLU joined in a free-speech movement
• IWW called for a citywide strike on May 1
• May 5: 100 strikebreakers were brought in, with additional strikebreakers scheduled to arrive on subsequent days
• May 10: 1500 longshoremen were at work, police force increased their presence on the docks
• May 15: Upton Sinclair led one of the largest staged protests at Liberty Hill
• Sinclair was arrested before finishing the recitation of the First Amendment. Arresting officer: ″We′ll have none of that Constitution stuff.″
• May 18: 71 alleged IWW members were arrested, 2800 longshoremen worked to load and unload 85 vessels for the busiest day in port history
• May 23: A peaceful meeting addressed by Upton Sinclair with about 5000 attendees
• May 24: Walkout was officially ended
• Strike was eventually defeated by a combination of the strength of shop owners, injunctions, use of the LA Police Department, mass arrests, strikebreakers, and also intimidation.
• Largest waterfront strike until the 1934 West Coast Waterfront Strike
• The strike failed but laid the foundation for success in the 1930s

1923: Strand Theater Opens

• The California Pacific Theater opens at 1135 S. Pacific Avenue
• 1926: Renamed the Strand Theater
• 1976: Demolished

1924: Major Street Traffic Plan for Los Angeles

• 1897: First automobiles appear in Los Angeles
• 1912: First gas station in Los Angeles
• 1915: 55,000 cars on Los Angeles streets
• Post WWI: Terrible traffic problems ensnarled Los Angeles roads
• Automobiles, buses, and streetcars jammed the roads, especially in the downtown area
• Accidents were on the rise and there were no alternatives to the main thoroughfares
• The Traffic Commission began a 2 year study to improve the situation
• The goal was to turn Los Angeles into a functional and well-designed city
• The design included widening main roads and setting standards with minimums of 110 feet between the curbs, 20 foot wide sidewalks on each side, and one-way streets
• One proposal called for a ″Hollywood — Palos Verdes Parkway″
• Plan called for a widening of Figueroa Street from LA to San Pedro, which was added to the state highway system as Route 165
• Some but not all of the plans were implemented

1924: SS Catalina Launches

• May 3: SS Catalina launches at Los Angeles Shipbuilding and Drydock Company, Port of LA
• Owner: Wilmington Transportation Company, which was purchased by William Wrigley along with Catalina Island
• Known as the ″Great White Steamer″, capacity was 2000 passengers
• Joins the steamers Avalon, Cabrillo, and Hermosa already transporting passengers between San Pedro and Catalina
• 1924 — 1975: Carried 25 million passengers between San Pedro and Avalon Harbor
• According to the Steamship Historical Society of America the SS Catalina has carried more passengers than any other vessel
• Famous passengers: Presidents Coolidge, Hoover, actor Robert Mitchum, and many of the musicians of the Big Band era
• August 24, 1942: Catalina was placed into service during World War II and delivered to the War Shipping Administration for troop transport.
• Designated a Coastal Freighter and Passenger Vessel. Used to transport troops throughout the San Francisco area.
• The first Army ship to use the newest Raytheon radar set
• The ship′s last use during WW2 was transporting troops on their way home from overseas
• April 22, 1946: Catalina returned to civilian service and resumes ferrying passengers from LA to Catalina
• 1975: Retired from passenger service, no longer able to compete with faster ships, and sold
• Bounced between Newport Beach, San Diego, Santa Monica and Long Beach
• Kept breaking from her moorings, moved to Ensenada, broke from her moorings and grounded in a sandbar where she stayed half submerged, then stripped by looters and vandals in 2010
• Formerly at Berth 96
• National Register of Historical Places
• California Historical Landmark
• Los Angeles Historic-Cultural Monument #213

1925 — 1941: Pan Am Clipper ″Flying Boats″ Dominate Airline Service

• 1925 — 1941: The flying boat, an airplane equipped with pontoons to land on water, dominated international airline service, the Pan Am Clippers are the most famous
• The Clippers were the only American passenger craft capable of intercontinental travel
• The flying boats could provide service to any city with a sheltered harbor. Few cities had large runways while a harbor would fulfill this need.
• The larger Clippers were geared to first class passengers with white glove service that included fine dining with white coated stewards and six-course meals on fine china, cocktail lounges and separate lavatory-dressing rooms for men and women
• The pilots were rigorously trained and were well known for their proficiency in long distance flight, seaplane anchorage, over-water navigation, celestial navigation, dead-reckoning during bad weather, radio procedure, and aircraft repair.
• 1935: First Pan Am flight to San Pedro in the Pan American Clipper
• 1935: The China Clipper inaugurated the first transpacific airmail service
• 1939: The US and New Zealand agree on an airmail route based in Los Angeles Harbor
• 1939: Pan American set up an office in the Los Angeles boathouse on the LA Harbor
• Los Angeles harbor was poised to become a hub
• 1941: Commercial clipper flying boat service ceases with the advent of World War II
• WWII: The Clippers were used by the military

1925: Los Angeles City Fireboat No. 2 Commissioned

• December 2: The Ralph J. Scott commissioned, named after a former chief engineer of the LAFD
• Built at Los Angeles Shipbuilding and Dry Dock Company (later Todd Shipyard)
• 100 foot fireboat with a beam of 19 feet, top speed of 17 knots (later 30 knots), and crew of 14
• 3 engines powered the triple screws, 4 engines powered the pumps which could deliver 10,200 gallons per minute. The Scott was retrofitted in 1945 with more powerful engines. Big Bertha alone could deliver 10,200 gallons per minutes.
• Decommissioned: 2003, 78 years of service to the LA Harbor
• Currently located at LAFD, Fire Station 112, Berth 86 awaiting restoration for display
• Fireboat No. 2 and Firehouse 112 are on the following:
• US National Register of Historic Places #154
• US National Landmark
• Los Angeles Historic-Cultural Monument
• Notable fires:
• March 3, 1926: Schooner Sierra and the Wood Lumber Company
• July 1947: SS Markay and resulting fire at the American President Lines pier and warehouse
• June 29, 1954: San Pedro Marine Terminal of the Tidewater Associated Oil Company and cooling endangered oil storage tanks
• June 20, 1970: Pontos cargo ship fire at Berth 49
• December 1976: Sansinena explosion

1925: J. Trani Ristorante Opens

• 1925: J. Trani Ristorante opens, 584 9th Street. Other notable surviving restaurants in San Pedro:
• 1920′s: Utro′s Cafe, Berth 73
• 1940: Pacific Diner, 3821 S. Pacific
• 1946: Walker′s Cafe, 700 W. Paseo Del Mar, building built in 1913 as turnaround for the Red Car
• 1947: A-1 Imported Groceries, 348 W. 8th
• 1951: Ante′s, 356 W. 5th
• 1956: San Pedro Fish Market, (Vista Seafood) 9th and Meyler, 1190 Nagoya Way
• 1962: Sorrento′s, 2425 S. Western
• 1973: Papadakis Taverna, 301 W. 6th

1950′s:

• Hamburger Hut, 824 S. Gaffey
• Hobby Nobby, 615 S. Pacific
• La Conga Cafe, 1621 S. Pacific
• Luigi′s Restaurant, 919 S. Pacific
• Waugh′s Malt Shop, 869 W. 9th

1960′s:

• Cabrillo Coffee House, 1101 S. Palos Verdes
• Chin′s Garden, 1936 S. Pacific
• Cigo′s, 915 S. Pacific
• Fisherman′s Club, 115 W. 6th
• International House of Pancakes, 29403 S. Western
• La Paloma, 112 S. Pacific
• Majestic Cafe, 262 W. 7th
• Marie Callender′s, 1050 N. Western
• Peppy′s, 584 W. 9th
• Ports O′ Call Restaurant
• Princess Louise, Berth 236
• Rum Runner, Berth 83
• Smuggler′s Cove, 633 W. Mesa
• Spinnaker Inn, 2500 Miner
• 22nd Street Landing, 141 W. 22nd Street
• Yankee Whaler Inn, Berth 75

1927: First Successful Cross Channel Swim

• January 16: George Young completes the first cross channel swim from the Isthmus to Portuguese Bend roughly 20 miles in 16 hours, 43 minutes
• Several swimmers continue to swim the channel in subsequent years
• 1958: First Double Cross Swim — Greta Andersen

1928: Fish Harbor Completed for $1.5 Million

• Canning operations consolidated in one area, allowing for more efficient landings of fish
• Provides a concentrated railroad and truck distribution point
• Most popular fish: sardines, tuna, mackerel
• 1926: 12 canneries in operation, 1800 men and women employed, 1200 fishing boats, 4800 fishermen
• 1929: 75% of the catches in California were canned in LA Harbor
• Los Angeles brought in 45% of total catches in the US, including Alaska, with a total of 857 million pounds

1928: Cabrillo Beach

• Cabrillo Beach opened in 1928 after sand from harbor dredging was added to the ocean side
• 1899: Construction of the San Pedro Breakwater started
• 1909: Breakwater completed
• 1927: Sand added to Cabrillo Beach from harbor dredging. Previously the ocean went right up to the cliffs.
• 1928: Cabrillo Beach was immediately flooded with San Pedro residents, as well as Wilmington and Los Angeles residents
• 1928: Deadman′s Island is dredged and dynamited away as part of the harbor development. Much of the resulting rubble was added to Terminal Island′s southern area. The island was at the outer breakwater near Angel′s Gate Lighthouse.
• 1932: Cabrillo Beach Bathhouse completed
• 1941: Cabrillo Marine Aquarium opens. The aquarium actually began in 1935 as a collection of marine specimens that had been stored in the Bathhouse.
• 1949: John Olguin, captain of the Cabrillo Beach lifeguards, was appointed director of the museum
• Olguin popularized the aquarium by providing tours to school groups, creating educational programs, whale watches and guiding grunion viewings.
• 1981: New Cabrillo Beach Museum opens. Name changes to Cabrillo Beach Aquarium to highlight the living collections.

1928: San Pedro Municipal Building

• San Pedro City Hall built at 638 S. Beacon Street
• Tallest building in San Pedro at 7 stories
• Includes an old jail, wood paneled courtroom, and a fire station
• Converted into a museum
• Los Angeles Historic-Cultural Monument #732

1928: Richard Henry Dana Jr. High School Established

• WPA project, built in Spanish Mission style with arches and courtyard
• WPA Murals in the library and cafeteria

1929: Sunken City Disaster

• Natural landslide causes several homes at Point Fermin, near Shepard and Pacific, to slide into the ocean
• The slide displaced houses, commercial buildings, streets, sidewalks and part of the adjoining Point Fermin park
• Nearly 40,000 square feet of land slid into the Pacific Ocean
• The development of Cliffside homes and exclusive bungalows was established in the 1920′s by George Peck
• January 2: First reports of damage when a waterline broke underneath the Ocean View Inn hotel
• A few days later a gas line broke under the same building
• May: Engineers noticed a lateral movement of 8 inches and a vertical drop of three inches
• A crack began to form running from Point Fermin′s inland sea cliffs for half a block to the corner of Pacific and Paseo del Mar (now Shepard)
• On the day of the initial slide the crack resulted in a deep hole ten fee long and three feet across in front of one of the houses
• The crack caved in 5 acres and caused breaks in gas and water lines throughout the neighborhood
• Waves undercutting the cliff caused water to seep into the bentonite (form of absorbent clay formed by the breakdown of volcanic ash)layer of the cliff
• It was estimated that the ground was shifting at a rate of 11 inches per day
• Most of the houses were evacuated and relocated before the collapse
• It was determined that not much geotechnical inspection or investigation had been done to define the instabilities at the site
• The land is still moving though at a much slower rate
• Sunken City is currently fenced off with no trespassing signs while concrete foundations, sidewalks, curbsides, sanitation, streetcar lines, and piping from the neighborhood are visible
• It has a presence on social media and has been the locale of movies including ″The Big Lebowski″, ″Sunken City″ and featured in the season finale of ″Fear The Walking Dead″

1929: Great Depression Triggered by Stock Market Crash

• October 29: Sudden collapse of US stock market prices following a series of market setbacks that started around September 4, stock market lost 90% of its value between 1929 and 1933
• Great Depression ensues with the economic depression lasting about a decade, affecting not only the US but is felt globally
• It was the longest, deepest, most widespread and devastating depression to occur
• Gross Domestic Product drops by 30%, industrial production dropped 47%, profits and prices dropped, wages were reduced (average of 40%), workers laid off, ~300,000 companies went out of business, unemployment reached 25%
• Jobs were not available, bankruptcies, foreclosures were common
• Banking crisis occurred as people tried to withdraw their money causing a series of banking panics or bank runs, 9000 banks failed during the 1930s, $1 billion in bank deposits were lost
• The Depression was felt in California similar to the rest of the nation, farm wages dropped from 75 cents per hour to 15 cents, 144 workers applying for 100 jobs, crop prices dropped 60%
• About 200,000 migrants from the midwest states of Oklahoma, Nebraska, Kansas, Texas etc came to California fleeing the dust bowl, looking for jobs in agriculture and oil and settled into shantytowns
• Farmers in Los Angeles couldn't sell their crops and as a result the crops rotted in the fields.
• A food cooperative, the Self-Help Cooperative Movement, started when unemployed workers in Compton reached out to farmers in the outskirts of LA for work in exchange for food. Food was stored in vacant buildings.
• The Cooperative Movement spread throughout California and then the nation, and expanded from farming exchanges to other activities such as shoe shops, medical services, bakeries, canning, machine shops, soap factories, and other services such as haircuts.
• 1933: The New Deal was implemented by President Franklin D. Roosevelt to bring the nation back to economic health: relief for the unemployed and poor, recovery of the economy, and reform of the financial system
• After he was elected, FDR started his Fireside Chats radio broadcasts to calm the nation, "The only thing to fear is fear itself."
• To stabalize the bank industry, a 4 day bank holiday was declared so Congress could pass reform legislation and reopen those banks determined to be sound
• Legislation was passed to insure bank deposits, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation to protect deposited money and the Securities Exchange Commision to regulate the stock market from abuses that led to the stock market crash
• Congress passed the Social Security Act which provided Americans with unemployment compensation, disability, and pensions for old age. Before this act the US was the only industrialized country without some form of unemployment insurance or social security.
• The Works Process Administration (WPA) was created and employed 8.5 million people from 1935 to 1943.
• Several WPA projects were completed in San Pedro
  • Cabrillo Beach Park Statue (Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo) 1936
  • Dana Middle School Library Murals
  • Los Angeles Maritime Museum 1941
  • Municipal Fish Market
  • Passenger and General Cargo Terminal
  • Point Fermin Park - walkways, fencing, plumbing, landscaping
  • San Pedro Post Office and Federal Building
  • Post Office Mural
  • Reeves Field - Long Beach Naval Complex
  • San Pedro High School - 1933
  • San Pedro High School Library Murals
  • Track Location at West Basin
  • White Point Sewer System
• Throughtout the Great Depression San Pedro continued to invest in the harbor and infrastructure despite the dropoff in trade

1930′s: Massive Expansion at the Port

• Breakwater construction to 3 miles out and over 2 miles in length
• Inner breakwater built off Terminal Island with docks for seagoing ships
• Main channel dredged to 35 feet
• Smaller docks built in Long Beach

1930′s: Fishing Industry Prospers

• The fishing industry plays a major role in the harbor: fishing, canneries, fish markets
• 6,000 people directly employed in the fishing industry, payroll is largest in San Pedro, at least $750,000 per month
• Port of Los Angeles is tied with San Diego as the largest center for fish canning in the country, and ranked among the world′s largest
• San Pedro has the largest Fishing Industry in the world
• 1937: 1250 fishing boats
• Fishing industry prospers through the 1950′s
• 75% of over 1800 commercial fisherman were foreign born

1930′s: Vista del Oro Neighborhood Development

• 1919: Brothers Horace, Herbert, Dr. George Averill and their brother-in-law Harry Weymouth form the Averill-Weymouth Company
• They purchased 872 acres on the hill above Gaffey up the slope to Western, between 9th and 25th from Rudecinda de Sepulveda Dodson
• Horace named the tract of land Vista del Oro which they began to develop and promote
• Herbert Averill took the lead in development including design, subdividing, grading, building and planting
• Herbert designed and built Averill Park which is named after him. The brothers subsequently turned the park over to Los Angeles in 1920
• Averill Park quickly became a popular picknicking and barbecue location with social gatherings and weddings
• After a slow start the brothers were successful in selling a number of homes
• The homes accommodated an expanding population in San Pedro
• Homes in Vista del Oro are larger, generally more expensive than previous homes built in San Pedro, geared to owners with larger income
• This neighborhood joins Barton Hill, Holy Trinity, Central, Plaza, Miraleste, and Point Fermin neighborhoods in San Pedro

1930′s: Streets of San Pedro

• North-south primary streets: Pacific, Gaffey, Western
• East-west primary streets: 1st, 9th, 13th, 19th, 25th, Paseo Del Mar
• North-south streets associated with Vista del Oro:
• Kerchoff:William Kerchoff, lumber dealer, business partner of George Peck, founded Pacific Light and Power Company which became Southern California Gas Company
• Carolina: Carolina Sepulveda, daughter of Ramon Sepulveda
• Peck: George H. Peck, Bank of San Pedro, real estate, owned most of San Pedro at one time
• Gaffey: John T. Gaffey, real estate developer and financier, Stephen M. White campaign manager
• Cabrillo: Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo, discovered San Pedro
• Meyler: Captain James Meyler, Army Corps of Engineers, engineered San Pedro breakwater
• Bandini:Arcadia Bandini, wife of John Gaffey
• Alma: Alma Peck, daughter of George Peck
• Leland:Leland Peck, son of George Peck
• Walker:John Walker, chairman of Walker Board Commission that determined the feasibility of federal funds for developing Los Angeles Harbor
• Patton:George S. Patton II, District Attorney of LA county, father of General George Patton of WW2 fame
• Averill:Averill brothers, real estate developers
• Weymouth:real estate developer, brother in law to the Averill brothers

1930′s: Master Plan of Metropolitan Los Angeles Freeways

• Traffic congestion continued to be a problem in Los Angeles
• The Automobile Club of Southern California conceived an elevated freeway-type Motorway System
• Plan called for dismantling the streetcar lines and replacing them with buses that could run on the local streets and on the planned elevated express roads
• Planning continued through the 1930′s
• 1947: The California Department of Public Works completed a comprehensive freeway plan that included a network of raised freeways, but did not include light rail tracks in the median strips
• Construction ensued causing strife and conflict as displaced residents were forced out of their neighborhoods
• The proposed Harbor Freeway from downtown southward between Broadway and Figueroa ultimately displaced approximately 20,000 homes
• Most of the construction occurred in the 1940′s and early 1950′s
• Construction of the Harbor Freeway proceeded slowly southward from LA southward in stages with the first stage completed in July 1952 at 3rd Street, LA
• 1951: Large scale land acquisition for new freeway construction began in earnest
• 1962: The Harbor Freeway finally reached Pacific Coast Highway in September 1962. There it connected with a section that had already been opened since 1956 from Pacific Coast Highway to Channel Street.
• 1970: The final piece opened in July 1970 with connection to Gaffey Street and the Vincent Thomas Bridge to Terminal Island completing the Harbor Freeway to its current length

1931: Warner Grand Theater Opens

• January 20: Warner Theater opens at 478 W. 6th Street
• The San Pedro Grand Warner Theater is the last of 3 similar Art Deco Moderne theaters built in the same style. The other two were built in Beverly Hills (demolished) and Huntington Park (closed for many years, then significantly altered).
• Maids in ladies room, porters in mens room, trained ushers
• Celebrities who visited the Warner: Barbara Stanwyck, Joan Blondell, Laura La Plante, Laurence Grey
• US National Registry of Historical Places
• Los Angeles Historic-Cultural Monument #251
• Has appeared in several movies including Pearl Harbor

1931: San Pedro Man Sues Albert Einstein

• Ira Edwards, a well-known San Pedro Real Estate Agent and businessman, sues Albert Einstein claiming Einstein stole the unified field theory from Edwards′ book ″The Why and Wherefore of Things″, copyrighted in 1929
• Edwards asked the court to prevent Einstein from using the unified field theory
• Einstein was lecturing at Mount Wilson laboratory on the unified theory field at the time
• The story was carried in newspapers around the country
• Einstein, in his formal response, indicated that his theory was based on mathematics
• The case was dismissed

1932: Wilmington Oil Field Discovered

• 3rd largest oil field in terms of cumulative production
• Oil production and refining becomes big business in the San Pedro area
• It had an estimated 3 billion barrels of oil upon discovery
• In 2013 it was estimated to have 300 million barrels remaining
• Field is roughly 13 miles long and 3 miles wide in Northern San Pedro, running from Long Beach through San Pedro Bay and west to the Palos Verdes Peninsula
• Artificial island THUMS (Texaco, Humble, Union, Mobile, Shell) wells (built in 1965) outside of Long Beach continue to diagonally extract oil
• Substantial subsidence of about 20 feet was discovered in 1940 near the center due to the poorly consolidated sedimentary rock. Water injection to maintain pressure began to remediate the subsidence.

1932: Cabrillo Beach Bathhouse Built

• Last of the Southern California bathhouses built at Cabrillo Beach
• 26,000 square foot Mediterranean style beach house with shower rooms, life guard facilities, snack bars, and a community meeting room upstairs
• People from Los Angeles would take the Red Car to the beach where they would pick up a swimsuit and towel for 10 cents for the day
• By 1981 the building eventually deteriorated and was deemed no longer safe
• Bathhouse was restored, reopened and dedicated on October 2, 2002
• Los Angeles Historic-Cultural Monument #571

1932: San Pedro Hosts Olympic Sailing Event, Long Beach Hosts Olympic Rowing

• Games of the X Olympiad were hosted by Los Angeles
• Sailing events were held south of the San Pedro breakwater
• Course was chosen because of the constant wind conditions (8-15 knots starting at midday), freedom from tides and swift currents
• Another advantage of the course was that spectators had a good view of the events from Point Fermin
• Four events held August 5 — 12: 1 person Snowbird, 2 person Star, 6 Metre and 8 Metre
• US took home 3 medals, more than any other nation: 2 gold and 1 silver
• Participating nations: US, Sweden, France, Canada, Great Britain, Netherlands, Spain, Austria, Germany, Italy, South Africa
• Rowing events were hosted in Long Beach at Marine Stadium
• 7 events held August 9 — 13: 8, coxed 4, coxless 4, coxed pair, coxless pair, double scull, single scull
• The premier 8 oared race was won by the US, comprised of the UC Berkeley crew
• US took home 4 medals, more than any other nation: 3 gold, 1 silver
• Participating nations: Great Britain, Germany, Australia, Italy, Poland, New Zealand, Canada, France, Uruguay
• Olympic rowing events were men only from 1904 until 1976 when women first competed in the Olympics
• 1976: First Olympic rowing medal for US women was a silver medal won by Joan Lind, in the single scull. Lind, from Long Beach Wilson HS, Long Beach State, rowed for Long Beach Rowing Association. Joan won another Olympic silver medal in the 1984 Los Angeles games.

1933: Long Beach Earthquake

• March 10: Long Beach Earthquake, magnitude 6.4, strikes at 5:54 pm
• Epicenter is southeast of Long Beach
• Extensive damage to buildings throughout the region
• Up to 120 deaths occur, mostly from people exiting buildings and being hit by falling debris
• Buildings collapsed, water tanks fell through roofs, houses were knocked from their foundations
• Downtown San Pedro experienced debris falling from buildings damaging property and cars
• Approximately 70 school buildings were the most extensively damaged, extremely fortunate that the earthquake occurred outside of school hours. 230 school building were either destroyed, suffered major damage or were deemed unsafe to occupy
• It was recognized after the earthquake that the schools were built with unreinforced masonry
• The earthquake highlighted the need for earthquake resistant designs
• The earthquake seals off the sulphur springs at White Point Resort
• April 10: The Field Act was passed mandating that schools must be earthquake resistant

1936: San Pedro US Post Office Built

• San Pedro US Post Office building built as a Works Project Administration effort
• Built in the historic Streamline Moderne art deco style with marble, bronze and milk glass typical of 1930′s architecture for US government buildings
• WPA murals depicting postal and harbor history
• 801-841 S. Beacon Street

1936: Victory Arch Established at San Pedro High School Athletic Field

• Victory Arch faced north as the team desires to finish its season in a championship at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum

1937: Los Angeles Port Construction and Economic Development

• Construction of the 18500 foot long middle breakwater completed
• Work on the breakwater had started in 1932, overall cost was $5.63 million
• The Port of Los Angeles surpasses 20 million tons of shipping for the first time since the Great Depression

1937: Ramona Bakery Opens

• Ramona Bakery opens with cakes, cookies, pies at Pacific and 11th
• The bakery will stay open until 2008

1939: Long Beach Tropical Storm

• September 25: Only tropical storm to make landfall in California in the 20th century
• Prior to hitting land it was classified as a hurricane
• Preceded by a vicious heat wave that lasted over a week and killed 90 people in Los Angeles
• Made landfall near San Pedro on September 25 with winds of severe gale strength
• Winds were reported at Force 11, making this a minimal hurricane
• Highest winds estimated at 75 mph, waves were estimated to be 50 feet
• Windows throughout Long Beach were blown out
• Rainfall from 4″ to 11″ occurred within a few hours within various parts of LA
• Major flooding resulted with 2′-4′ floods in many areas of LA
• Thousands were stranded in their homes
• At Belmont Shores, waves undermined 10 homes before washing them away
• The flooding killed 45 in Southern California
• 48 were killed at sea

1939: Over 4000 Homes in San Pedro

• Prior to 1939: 4153 homes built in San Pedro
• 1940′s: Almost 2000 homes built during this decade in San Pedro
• 1950′s: Almost 5000 homes built, huge influx of population after WWII
• 1960′s: Almost 3900 homes built
• 1970′s: Almost 3700 homes built
• 1980′s: Almost 2500 homes built
• 1990′s: About 1000 homes built
• 2000′s: 521 homes built
• 2010 or later: 141 homes built

1940: Pacific Fleet Repositioned to Hawaii

• 14 battleships, 2 aircraft carriers, 14 cruisers and 16 support ships based at San Pedro
• April 1: Fleet repositioned to Hawaii in preparation for potential war
• Pacific Fleet never returns, was redeployed elsewhere after WWII

1941: World War II Port Involvement

• US military commissioned the port to conduct only war-time efforts
• Every boat repair and shipbuilding company assisted in construction, conversion and repair of vessels for the war effort
• 1941-1945: San Pedro shipyards provided a major contribution to the war effort. Thousands of war-time vessels were built, converted or repaired at a record pace.
• Shipyards employed more than 90,000 workers
• Primary Shipyards: California Shipbuilders, Bethlehem Shipbuilders, Consolidated Steel Corp, Todd Shipyards
• 1943: Los Angeles Shipbuilding & Dry Dock Company seized by the Navy under executive order from President Roosevelt and turned over to Todd Shipyard due to suboptimal performance and accounting issues. Todd Shipyard purchased the company after the war.

1941: Point Fermin Lighthouse Extinguished, Fresnel Lens Lost

• 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
• The Lens was lost after the war
• 2006: Chance meeting in a restaurant provided a clue as to the whereabouts of the lens and leading to its recovery

1941: Municipal Ferry Terminal Built

• Built on Harbor Boulevard at the end of 6th Street to serve as a ferry building
• The ferry would carry cars and people from San Pedro to Terminal Island
• Ferries: Islander and Ace would carry thousands of passengers to and from the canneries, docs, shipyards, and military bases
• Works Project Administration (WPA) Project, Streamline Moderne style
• Famous for its 5 story octagonal clock tower
• 1963: Ferry ceases operation when the Vincent Thomas Bridge was opened
• 1979: Terminal converted into the Maritime Museum
• National Register of Historic Places
• Los Angeles Historic-Cultural Monument #146

1941: Cabrillo Marine Aquarium Opens, John Olguin Later Appointed Director

• The aquarium actually began in 1935 as a collection of marine specimens that had been stored in the Bathhouse.
• 1949: John Olguin, captain of the Cabrillo Beach lifeguards, was appointed director of the museum. He popularized the aquarium by providing tours to school groups and guiding the grunion viewings.
• Olguin established a number of educational programs as well as the Cabrillo Whale Watch
• Founding member of the American Cetacean Society
• 1953: Olguin established the San Pedro Independence Day fireworks show
• Olguin also established the Cabrillo Beach Polar Bear Club
• 1981: New Cabrillo Beach Museum opens. Name updated to Cabrillo Beach Aquarium to highlight the living collections.
• 2006: Olguin led the efforts to recover the lost Point Fermin Lighthouse fresnal lens
• 2012: The new San Pedro campus extension named after John and his wife Muriel Olguin with an LASUD magnet devoted to Marine Science

1943: Gaffey Street Pool Opens

• The ″Hey Rookie″ Gaffey Street pool opens in 1943 to serve as a training and entertainment venue for American soldiers during World War II
• The pool was financed through proceeds from ″Hey Rookie,″ a live show produced by troops from the Fort MacArthur Garrison to increase morale
• The pool continued to be a popular spot for citizens of San Pedro and military families who lived on the base
• 1975: The pool was turned over to the Recreation and Parks department
• The pool fell into disrepair and shuttered in the early 90′s
• The pool has been reconstructed and opened to the public in 2017

1943: Los Angeles Hit with Surprise Smog Attack

• 1943: On July 8 the first really bad smog alert occurred, newspapers called it a ″daylight dim out″, and the air was described as a dirty gray fog that smelled like gasoline and chlorine, residents noticed irritable lungs and teary eyes
• The smog had no known origin, authorities considered chemical attack, a nearby gas company butadiene plant, chemical plants, and noticed that it was similar to coal fired plants in other cities
• 1940′s — 1950′s: Bad smog alerts continue
• 1952: Caltech professor Arie Haagen-Smit analyzed the smog and determined it was primarily caused by automobile exhaust. It was subsequently determined that vehicles and construction equipment contributed 75% to causing smog.
• 1954 and 1955: Smog alerts continue with bad peaks
• September 1955: Smog is so bad that it becomes difficult to see. Aircraft prevented from landing at LAX and prevented ships from entering Los Angeles Harbor.
• A series of air quality standards are enacted through the subsequent years
• Measures include engine emission limits, smokestack permits, fuel standards

1945: First Fishermen′s Fiesta

• Informal Fishermen′s Fiestas started 1938 and held annually in the Autumn
• October 21, 1945: First formal Fishermen′s Fiesta held initially billed as a World War II Victory Parade
• Thousands of spectators watched more than 100 decorated flag-bedecked purse seiners parading through Los Angeles harbor on a 20-mile course past Cabrillo Beach, into the main channel at Wilmington, and around Rainbow Pier at Long Beach
• City of Naples II won first prize and carried a replica of the Iwo Jima flag
• During its heyday in the 1950′s and 60′s the fiesta was acclaimed as the third most photographed event in the US behind the Tournament of Roses Parade and Mardi Gras
• Attendees throughout the years included Ronald Reagan, Pat Brown, and Richard Nixon

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