Roundup: August 13, 2014

Click here to view photos from the event.

Dr. Geraldine Knatz, using a powerpoint presentation, is going to tell us about the history of Terminal Island from its beginnings. She will draw from her intimate knowledge of its now preserved archives. Such an understanding only comes to those historians with such hands on work of both the history and the environment of the main Port of Los Angeles. This rare insight will also be accompanied by a harbor tour later in the week on Friday in which Dr Knatz and other harbor historians will be available for follow up and discussion ship board.

Knatz retired as the Executive Director of the Port of Los Angeles February 2014 after eight years as its CEO. Prior to that Knatz was Managing Director of the Port of Long Beach.

She was instrumental in implementing an effective environmental improvement plan that cleared the way for major new developments at the West Coast’s largest transportation and international trade hub.

Knatz established the Port of Los Angeles Historical Archives and hired an archivist to ensure historical records and more than 200,000 photographs were preserved and made available.

She has an undergrad degree in Zoology from Rutgers, and both a masters in Environmental Engineering and doctorate in biological science from USC, and currently teaches the Practice of Policy and Engineering at USC.

Knatz is co-author with Naomi Hirahata of Terminal Island, Lost Communities of Los Angeles Harbor. Over a hundred years ago, there were islands in San Pedro Bay known as Rattlesnake Island and Deadman’s Island and three distinct residential communities: East San Pedro, Terminal, sometimes called Terminal Beach, and Brighton Beach.

Many residents were part of the Bohemian culture that developed in Los Angeles. These people were generally squatters who lived a precarious existence. When the Terminal Land Company began promoting Terminal Island as a resort destination, wealthy Los Angeles residents were building summer “cottages” right at the edge of the surf. Today there is one large industrialized land mass known as Terminal Island, home to containers and rail facilitates that service the goods movement industry across the nation.

Click here to view photos from the event.

Paul McClure
Deputy Sheriff