Port of Los Angeles 1913-1917
This seven-plate panoramic image of an early Los Angeles Harbor invites close inspection. Deadman's Island anchors the center of the photo denoting the harbor entrance. Looking left, the Wilmington breakwater connects the rocky outcropping to the sandy spit of Rattlesnake Island and the Pacific Wharf and Storage Co. warehouse. Signal Hill looms off in the distance. The black bow of the S.S. William Chatham is somewhat hidden behind the Southern Pacific flatcars receiving a shipment of Everett, Washington lumber. The presence of this steam cargo ship helps date the photo. Built in San Francisco in 1913, the ship was sold four years later and renamed the Santa Rita. In 1923 the Santa Rita struck a rock and was lost. To the right of Deadman's Island, two dredgers deepen the channel behind the San Pedro Breakwater. Beyond the mudflats is the silhouette of the Santa Monica Mountains. On the far right are the rolling slopes of Point Fermin and San Pedro, sprouting new homes and streets. Large, elevated letters on the ridge proclaim, "Lot[s] For Sale G. H. Peck." Like the William Chatham, Deadman's Island is no more. It was dredged away in 1928 as part of a harbor development effort. Rattlesnake Island became Terminal Island.
Publication date: 19 August 2021
