Wilmington, California is a neighborhood of Los Angeles, with industry as its primary economical activity. It lies adjacent to the Port of Los Angeles, San Pedro, and Harbor City.
The town was originally known as New San Pedro when it was founded in September 1858. It was located at the site of a wharf, known as Banning's Landing, built by Phineas Banning. The name was changed in 1863 in honor of Wilmington, Delaware, Banning's birthplace. The post office, which opened in 1864, was the second in Los Angeles County.
The Roman Catholic church of SS. Peter and Paul was founded in 1865 and is now the second oldest parish in the archdiocese of Los Angeles. During the Jubilee Year 2000, it was proclaimed as a Pilgrimage Church and now it is called the Historic Faith Center of the San Pedro Pastoral Region.
The first railroad in Southern California was built in 1869, and ran from Banning's Landing up to the city of Los Angeles. Following the choice of San Pedro as the official location for the Port of Los Angeles in the 1890s, the town continued to grow with increased federal spending in the area. The city was annexed by the city of Los Angeles in 1909.
|
