page_title: Los Angeles & San Pedro Railroad
section_title: Impact
hierarchical_section_title: Los Angeles & San Pedro Railroad / Impact
caption_attribution_description: English: Los Angeles &amp; San Pedro Railroad advertisement (1870) (The Cooper Collection of Early American Railroadiana)
context_page_description: The Los Angeles & San Pedro Railroad was Southern California's first railroad. Its 21-mile line from San Pedro Bay to Los Angeles was built from 1868 to 1869 and began operations on October 26, 1869. The railroad was the brainchild of Phineas Banning and its primary purpose was to transport freight from the port to the city.
  The Los Angeles & San Pedro Railroad was purchased by the Southern Pacific Railroad in 1873.
context_section_description: The railroad resulted in reduced fares and freight rates from Los Angeles to Banning's Wilmington wharf, with passenger rates from depot to depot set at $1.50, with an additional $1.00 charge from the wharf to steamers standing offshore, unable to dock in the shallow waters around the dock.  Freight rates for the first six months of operation totaled $61,847, an improvement over the $171,988 it would have cost using previous transportation methods.
  There were controversies over the construction and financing, and complaints about the southern terminal not being on a deep-water port. Some newspapers criticized the "Railroad Ring" and complained about high freight rates. The city of Los Angeles eventually filed suit against the railroad, a suit that was eventually dropped.  
  The railroad was a strong stimulant to Los Angeles. Remi Nadeau's shipments of silver and lead from the Cerro Gordo Mines used the line to access the port at Wilmington, which increased coastal freight traffic and made Wilmington a much more active port, allowing it to build new amenities such as the Exchange Hotel and the Railroad Saloon.
  The railroad spurred new communities along the route.  Florence, a farming community, was created about 4 miles south of the Los Angeles depot.  Comptonville (later Compton) was founded as Methodist temperance community about 6 miles further south.  Four miles further was Dominguez Station, which served the needs of the Dominguez family and their ranch. And Cerritos was created 2 miles further south as the shipping point for the Cerritos sheep ranch.
  In 1871, there were reports that the railroad would be extended to Anaheim, and then through San Bernardino to Arizona or Utah. Congress, responding to requests from Southern California representatives, voted $200,000 for a deep water port on March 2, 1871.
caption: An advertisement for the Los Angeles & San Pedro Railroad
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