San Pedro was incorporated into the City of Los Angeles in 1909, and grew into one of the world's strategic international ports. The dredging and backfilling of berths and canals have been mirrored in town through the decades as landmarks were demolished, streets altered, and some structures steadfastly maintained.
The present and past of one of L.A.'s most distinctive neighborhoods are compared on these pages by coauthors Jim Isaac and Tom Herrera in cooperation with the San Pedro Bay Historical Society.