Episode 7. Phineas Banning Part 3.

Hey folks in part three, we're going to talk about Phineas spanning politics, how his family continued the family business. Catalina island and how the Banning's operated the island for nearly 30 decades.

Transcript

Harbor Area Podcast – Part Three: Phineas Banning’s Politics, Family Legacy, and Catalina Island

Joel (Host):
Hey folks — in Part Three, we’re going to talk about Phineas Banning’s political life, how his family carried on the family business, his connection to Catalina Island, and how the Banning family operated the island for nearly three decades. Let’s jump in.

Banning’s Vision for the Port

Phineas Banning had a grand vision for developing the Port of Los Angeles. His long-term goals included building a breakwater, creating a deep-water port, and improving rail access. Remarkably, during his lifetime, he achieved all three — an extraordinary accomplishment, especially when you consider how difficult it is to get even one major infrastructure project done today.

For Banning, this wasn’t just about building facilities. He understood these changes would transform the environment, economy, population growth, and the flow of goods, people, and knowledge into the region.

Family Connections and the “Mixing of the Waters”

Banning came from a close-knit family. His brother, William Lober Banning, lived on the East Coast and developed the Mississippi and Great Lakes Railroad at the same time Phineas was building his own rail line in California. The brothers corresponded frequently, exchanging advice and even sourcing materials from as far away as England and New York.

Phineas had three sons. After his wife’s death, during a particularly difficult period, he sent them to stay with his brother in St. Paul for about a year. His young niece — only 18 or 19 at the time — traveled from Minnesota to California by steamer, crossed Panama by rail (before the canal existed), and brought the boys back east. She made this round trip four times.

At the completion ceremony for William’s railroad, Phineas sent a bottle of ocean water from San Pedro Bay. During the ceremony, the Pacific water was poured together with water from Lake Superior over the locomotive — a symbolic “Mixing of the Waters.” Instead of champagne, they used water to honor both brothers’ accomplishments.

The Banning Sons and Catalina Island

After Phineas died in 1885 at the age of 54, three of his children from his first marriage — William, Joseph, and Hancock Banning — carried on the family enterprises. In the early 1880s, they had formed the Wilmington Transportation Company (WTC) to consolidate their businesses.

In 1892, the brothers purchased Catalina Island from the Lick Estate, which had repossessed it from previous owner George Shatto after his bankruptcy. They operated the island from 1892 to 1919, developing Avalon into a Victorian resort town. They established tent camps, built hotels such as the Grand Metropole, installed utilities, and developed transportation infrastructure — much as their father had done in Wilmington.

The island prospered until 1915, when a devastating fire destroyed much of Avalon. The brothers rebuilt, but as they grew older, they accepted an offer from the Wrigley family in 1919. William Banning, who never married and became the family patriarch after Phineas’s death, remained on the Wrigley board for another decade, helping to guide the island’s redevelopment.

The Banning Residence and Museum

Today, the Banning family home in Wilmington stands as a museum dedicated to their legacy. In 2024, the nonprofit that manages the site celebrates its 50th anniversary. It was founded in 1974 by Nancy Banning Call, Phineas’s great-granddaughter, who turns 100 next year.

The 17,000-square-foot Greek Revival mansion was built when Wilmington was still a working ranch. After Phineas’s death, the property remained in the family until the City of Los Angeles acquired it in 1927 for use as a park.

In the 1930s, the grounds featured picnic areas, gardens (including a Japanese-style water garden), a canal, and an amphitheater. During World War II, two-thirds of the park — including the house — were commandeered by the military for officer housing and other uses. Quonset huts and other structures replaced much of the original landscaping. The military did not vacate until 1953.

By the mid-1970s, community advocates — led by Nancy Banning Call — secured nonprofit status and began restoring the home as a museum. Today, Banning Park remains a community gathering place and a lasting reminder of the family’s role in shaping the Los Angeles Harbor area.

What If Banning Were Alive Today?

If Phineas Banning could see the modern Port of Los Angeles, it’s intriguing to imagine his reaction. He would see the fulfillment of his vision on a scale far beyond what he knew — but also a far more industrialized, globalized, and complex operation than in his time.

Stay tuned for Part Four, released alongside this episode.

Thanks for Listening

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Take care, and remember to treat each other kindly.