▁the ▁town ▁of ▁Wil ming ton , ▁in ▁Los ▁Angeles ▁County , ▁California , ▁which ▁was ▁named ▁for ▁his ▁birth place . ▁His ▁drive ▁and ▁amb ition ▁laid ▁the ▁found ations ▁for ▁what ▁would ▁become ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁bus iest ▁ports ▁in ▁the ▁world . ▁ ▁Besides ▁operating ▁a ▁fre ight ing ▁business , ▁B anning ▁operated ▁a ▁stage ▁coach ▁line ▁between ▁San ▁Pedro ▁and ▁Wil ming ton , ▁and ▁later ▁between ▁B anning , ▁California , ▁which ▁was ▁named ▁in ▁his ▁honor , ▁and ▁Y uma , ▁Arizona . ▁ ▁During ▁the ▁Civil ▁War , ▁he ▁c eded ▁land ▁to ▁the ▁Union ▁Army ▁to ▁build ▁a ▁fort ▁at ▁Wil ming ton , ▁the ▁Dr um ▁Bar ra cks . ▁He ▁was ▁appointed ▁a ▁brig ad ier ▁general ▁of ▁the ▁First ▁Brigade ▁of ▁the ▁milit ia , ▁and ▁used ▁the ▁title ▁of ▁general ▁for ▁the ▁rest ▁of ▁his ▁life . ▁ ▁Early ▁life ▁B anning ▁was ▁born ▁in ▁Wil ming ton , ▁Del aware , ▁the ▁sevent h ▁of ▁ 1 1 ▁children ▁to ▁John ▁Al ford ▁B anning ▁( 1 7 9 0 – 1 8 5 1 ) ▁and ▁Elizabeth ▁Low ber ▁( 1 7 9 2 – 1 8 6 1 ). ▁At ▁age ▁ 1 3 , ▁he ▁moved ▁to ▁Philadelphia ▁to ▁work ▁in ▁his ▁oldest ▁brother ' s ▁law ▁firm . ▁By ▁his ▁late ▁te ens , ▁B anning ▁was ▁working ▁on ▁the ▁dock y ards ▁of ▁Philadelphia . ▁At ▁the ▁age ▁of ▁ 2 0 , ▁he