the Commerce Committee, the full Senate quickly adopted the measure, including White's amendment. In March 1897, another board of engineering experts made the final decision in favor of San Pedro. The Chamber won and made Los Angeles a "free" harbor, independent of the influence of the Southern Pacific Railroad. White was seen as a hero. Crowds cheered as his homebound train passed by, and a parade through Los Angeles was held in his honor. The staunchly-Republican Los Angeles Times called the Democratic senator “the greatest man the state has produced in its half-century of existence,” and $25,000 was raised for a statue of White, which now overlooks the Port of Los Angeles. San Pedro Bay grew into one of the world's great ports, and Santa Monica was transformed into a glamorous beach resort, with powerful impacts on the region's urban geography. A , from Downtown Los Angeles to San Pedro and Wilmington, would soon be part of the City of Los Angeles. See also Stephen M. White Collis Potter Huntington History of Los Angeles References External links 'Great Free Harbor Fight' : At Stake Was the Port Site for the Growing City of L.A. Free Harbor Fight The Port of Los Angeles History Cabrillo's Legacy History of Los Angeles