Local History

Historical Overview

The first official documentation of the harbor was by Portuguese explorer Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo. When Cabrillo arrived in 1542 in San Pedro Bay, he called the land the “Bay of Smokes” because he saw so many village fires inland. The harbor in San Pedro was used as a trading post by Spanish monks from Mission San Gabriel Arcángel. The monks met ships at the water's edge with provisions from Spain helping to fulfill San Pedro’s ultimate destiny of becoming the largest cargo gateway into North America.

Landmarks

Along its waterfront are shipyards, dry docks, fish canneries, and oil refineries, as well as a memorial to the merchant marines. Los Angeles Air Force Base and Cabrillo Beach are on Point Fermin at the peninsula’s southern tip. Built in 1874, the Point Fermin Lighthouse was the first navigational light into the San Pedro Bay.

Also on Point Fermin is Fort MacArthur, once an extensive military reservation; part of it now supports the Los Angeles air base, and it houses a museum with exhibits on Los Angeles’s harbor defenses and the role of Los Angeles during wartime. The Los Angeles Maritime Museum contains displays of the port’s history and ship models. Various industries began popping up in and around the Port in the early 1900s.

One San Pedro landmark is the Vincent Thomas Bridge, the fourth longest suspension bridge in California. Nearby is the Battleship USS Iowa the Los Angeles Maritime Museum, the largest maritime museum in California, as is the museum ship SS Lane Victory, a fully operational victory ship of World War II and National Historic Landmark. The Angels' gate lighthouse pictured below was first constructed in 1913 and it's foundation is rock breakwater with concrete slab. It is the only lighthouse in the world that emits an emerald-colored light.^[5]

Ethnically diverse, San Pedro then became a hub for European immigrants from various countries for years. Today this culture is still reflected in the culinary diversity of our downtown restaurants featuring Portuguese, Mexican, and Italian family-owned concepts. San Pedro is still home to the largest Italian-American community in Southern California. The City of Los Angeles and the Harbor Area experienced unparalleled population growth in the early 20th century. City leaders recognized the Port's growth opportunities and the city of San Pedro was annexed to the City of Los Angeles on August 28, 1909.

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For a list of more San Pedro Historic Landmarks, visit the San Pedro Bay Historical Society to learn more!

You can also visit the LA Maritime Museum to learn more about the history of our harbor!