Inner Harbor

What secrets does a “Bay of Smokes” hold? We’re standing at the edge of the Inner Harbor, a place once shrouded in mystery and Native American lore. In 1542, Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo, a Portuguese explorer, sailed into this natural harbor at San Pedro Bay. He saw smoke rising from the Tongva villages nestled in the hills. He named it “Bahia de Los Fumas,” the Bay of Smokes. The Inner Harbor slumbered for over two centuries, a quiet backwater in a nascent nation. Then, in 1769, Spanish missionaries arrived. They saw the potential of this sheltered bay. The Inner Harbor began to stir. Trading ships from Spain arrived, laden with goods. The monks from Mission San Gabriel Arcángel used the harbor as a vital trading post, exchanging provisions with the ships. The Inner Harbor, once a tranquil bay, transformed into a bustling hub of commerce. This trade continued to flourish even under Mexican rule in 1822, cementing the Inner Harbor’s role as a vital port. Fast forward to the mid-1800s. Los Angeles and the harbor area experienced a population boom. The city leaders recognized the potential of what we now call the Inner Harbor, part of the greater Port of Los Angeles. They formed the first Board of Harbor Commissioners in 1907. This marked the official birth of the Port of Los Angeles. Just two years later, San Pedro and Wilmington became part of Los Angeles, solidifying the Inner Harbor’s place within the city. Industries sprang up around the port, from fishing and canneries to shipbuilding and oil drilling. The Inner Harbor buzzed with activity, a testament to its growth and importance to the region. The Inner Harbor has seen incredible transformation. It evolved from a “Bay of Smokes” to a vital trading post and finally, a bustling center of industry within the Port of Los Angeles.