Wilmington is at the heart of Los Angeles’ petroleum industry, home to the third largest oil field in the U.S. Founded in 1858, this bustling suburb is very industrial in character and landscape, full of refiners, enormous towers, derricks, and cargo trucks transporting to and from the Terminal Island Expressway. You might recognize this setting in the dystopic scenes from the Terminator movies.[1]
Attractions
General Phineas Banning Residence Museum
The General Phineas Banning Residence Museum is a clapboard residence designed in the Greek Revival style and built in an era when California constructed nothing but adobe structures. This 25-room mansion was completed in 1864 by Phineas Banning who arrived in California in 1851 and was instrumental in developing the LA Harbor area. The home has been restored and furnished with pieces of Phineas’ era, featuring a Steinway grand piano and historic photos that flashback to the period when the harbor was being developed at the turn of the century.[2]
Drum Barracks Civil War Museum
The Drum Barracks Civil War Museum is all that remains of Camp Drum, which served as Southern California’s headquarters for the U.S. Army during the Civil War. The outpost was also used in the 1860s during conflicts with the Indians. The rooms of the camp now house a museum showcasing Civil War memorabilia and Civil War-era weapons.[3]
References:
Dickey, Jeff. Los Angeles, 3rd Edition. Rough Guides, 2003. ISBN: 1843530589.
Michelin Travel Publications. California. Greenville: Michelin Travel Publications, 2001. ISBN: 2060001315.
[1] Dickey, 168-69
[2] Michelin, 124
[3] Id.
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