"In 1861, the port city of Wilmington - then called New San Pedro - became the West Coast headquarters of the Union Army for the duration of the Civil War. New San Pedro had been founded just three years earlier, when transportation magnate Phineas Banning built a wharf and cargo facilities at the sheltered northern end of San Pedro Bay."
"The establishment of the railroad cemented Wilmington's position as Southern California's preeminent port until 1897, when Congress designated neighboring San Pedro as L.A.'s official port. Unable to effectively compete with the deeper and federally funded harbor to the south, Wilmington fell into a period of decline."
"Tourism gave Wilmington's economy a boost in 1919, as the neighborhood became the point of departure for excursion boats headed to Catalina Island, drawing thousands of travelers to the many hotels lining Avalon Boulevard. The discovery in the 1920s of oil in and around Wilmington provided additional economic stimulus."
Wilmington was founded in 1858 as New San Pedro by transportation magnate Phineas Banning, who built a wharf and cargo facilities. During the Civil War, it became the Union Army's West Coast headquarters, with Camp Drum established there in 1861. The telegraph network arrived in 1862, and the city was renamed Wilmington in 1863 after Banning's Delaware birthplace. Following the war, Banning constructed the Los Angeles & San Pedro Railroad in 1868, establishing Wilmington as Southern California's primary port. However, Congress designated San Pedro as Los Angeles's official port in 1897, causing Wilmington's decline. Los Angeles annexed Wilmington in 1909, consolidating port operations. Tourism flourished in 1919 with Catalina Island excursion boats, and oil discovery in the 1920s provided additional economic stimulus.
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