▁located ▁in ▁Los ▁Angeles ▁County , ▁California , ▁between ▁the ▁neighborhood ▁of ▁San ▁Pedro ▁in ▁the ▁city ▁of ▁Los ▁Angeles , ▁and ▁the ▁city ▁of ▁Long ▁Beach . ▁Terminal ▁Island ▁is ▁roughly ▁split ▁between ▁the ▁Port ▁of ▁Los ▁Angeles ▁and ▁Port ▁of ▁Long ▁Beach . ▁Land ▁use ▁on ▁the ▁island ▁is ▁entirely ▁industrial ▁and ▁port - related , ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁houses ▁the ▁Federal ▁Cor re ction al ▁Institution , ▁Terminal ▁Island . ▁ ▁History ▁The ▁island ▁was ▁originally ▁called ▁Is la ▁R aza ▁de ▁Bu ena ▁G ente ▁and ▁later ▁R att les nake ▁Island . ▁It ▁was ▁renamed ▁Terminal ▁Island ▁in ▁ 1 8 9 1 . ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 9 0 9 , ▁the ▁newly ▁rein cor por ated ▁Southern ▁California ▁Ed ison ▁Company ▁decided ▁to ▁build ▁a ▁new ▁steam ▁station ▁to ▁provide ▁reserve ▁capacity ▁and ▁emer gency ▁power ▁for ▁the ▁entire ▁Ed ison ▁system ▁and ▁to ▁enable ▁Ed ison ▁to ▁shut ▁down ▁some ▁of ▁its ▁small , ▁ob sole te ▁steam ▁plants . ▁The ▁site ▁chosen ▁for ▁the ▁new ▁plant ▁was ▁on ▁a ▁bar ren ▁mud flat ▁known ▁as ▁R att les nake ▁Island , ▁today ' s ▁Terminal ▁Island ▁in ▁Long ▁Beach ▁Har bor . ▁Const ruction ▁of ▁Plant ▁No . ▁ 1 ▁began ▁in ▁ 1 9 1 0 . ▁ ▁The ▁land ▁area ▁of ▁Terminal ▁Island ▁has ▁been ▁supp lement ed ▁consider ably ▁from ▁its ▁original ▁size . ▁For ▁instance , ▁in ▁the ▁late ▁ 1 9 2 0 s , ▁Dead man ' s