Photo Record
Images
Metadata
Title |
The Long Wharf |
Catalog Number |
DM-0.8 |
Object Name |
Print, Photographic |
Description |
The Long Wharf, built as a potential Port of Los Angeles. The Southern Pacific Railroad bought property beween Santa Monica and Temescal Canyons (just west of Santa Monica), and constructed a long wharf projecting about 4700 feet into the ocean from the smaller Potrero Canyon situated between the two larger canyons. The Long Wharf, also called "Port Los Angeles" was completed in 1894. Its wharf-length railway hooked up with a rail line coming west from Santa Monica (bottom of photo). The Long Wharf story is connected with the Rancho Malibu story because Frederick Rindge and a group of investors incorporated a railroad to be laid across the length of Rancho Malibu. They called it the Hueneme, Malibu, Port Los Angeles railway. There are probably several reasons for incorporating this small (but standard guage) railroad, and the possibility that the Long Wharf would be THE seaport of Los Angeles, and might want to extend further west along the Pacific coast, was likely one of them. It was clear by 1910 or so that this was never going to be the case, and the Long Wharf disappeared soon thereafter. The Rindge railway was partially completed under the supervision of May Rindge, but only ran for about 15 miles inside the Rancho, from the Malibu Pier to just west of Encinal Canyon. It was used mainly to ferry crops and materials around the ranch. The Long Wharf was used by Southern Pacific between 1893 and 1908-09 to transfer sea freight to Los Angeles and other destinations. It was abandoned in favor of a larger port built at San Pedro, south of Los Angeles. An electric railway was established over the Southern Pacific right-of-way, and used for a half dozen years or so, mostly for tourists and sightseers. The Long wharf gradually decayed, and was finally demolished at the end of 1920. |
Photographer |
uk |
Copyright |
none |
Search Terms |
Long Wharf Temescal Canyon Portrero Canyon Rindge railway Southern Pacific Rwy |
People |
Rindge, Frederick Hastings Sr. Rindge, May Knight |