The Port of Los Angeles: A History, Part I - From Mudflats to Modern Port (1542-1920)

The Port of Los Angeles: A History is a landmark documentary series, part of an oral history project celebrating the 100th anniversary of the official founding of the Port of Los Angeles by the City of Los Angeles in 1907. Combining rare film and photos with excerpts from more than 100 interviews, this four-part series tells the story of America's busiest port from 1542 to the present, a man-made transformation from isolated mudflats to one of the world's most important harbors. It is also a vivid self-portrait of the people and Port communities of San Pedro and Wilmington, and a timeline for more than 200 years of American economic, political, and social change.

This episode tells how the harbor emerged from an isolated Spanish, then Mexican, trading stop to a booming American harbor.

© 2009 City of Los Angeles