Our huge, and hugely important, Los Angeles Harbor
On Saturday March 19th, LASA learned about the Los Angeles harbor. Our day began “in college.” Bill lectured to us (at us?) for an hour or so, telling us about the history of the “Free Harbor Fight” in the 1890s. The story was wrapped up in a package of ambition, secrecy, hydrology, politics, and the hidden archive of a Gilded Age mover and shaker in LA – an archive that got discovered in a public storage facility in Palm Springs twenty-five years ago (and which is now at The Huntington for scholarly study).
Emboldened by our shared historical knowledge, we trekked to the harbor itself – our two hours aboard the educational vessel Caroline took us through the harbor’s highways and byways, and we saw just how monstrously big this enterprise is. A beautiful, clear, and calm day: LASA took in the sights and the history of the biggest harbor facility in the United States, and our awareness of its power and meaning was brought home to all.
Happy Spring Break, LASA-ites! Safe travels on your college visits – see you in April