All week, KCRW looks at the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach. Explore Cargoland.
The ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach have been a driving force in Southern California’s economy for more than a century. The push to establish the port of L.A. came when a harbor commission was set up in 1907. But the debate over where to put the port was heated.
Director of the Los Angeles Maritime Museum, Mary Frances Trivelli says the top two contenders were San Pedro and Santa Monica. And one of the most powerful business tycoons in California at the time had a personal stake in the issue.
Below, Trivelli talks about this history: