on ▁settlement ▁at ▁San ▁Bernard ino , ▁and ▁in ▁an ▁arc ▁around ▁the ▁Southern ▁California ▁region . ▁ ▁B anning ▁was ▁not ▁content ▁to ▁cons olid ate ▁business ▁interests ▁in ▁st aging . ▁He ▁also ▁began ▁expand ing ▁the ▁har bor ▁and ▁do cks ▁at ▁San ▁Pedro ▁from ▁their ▁beg inn ings ▁as ▁illegal ▁exchange ▁sites ▁for ▁mission ▁cont rab and ▁during ▁the ▁Spanish ▁and ▁Mexican ▁er as , ▁and ▁made ▁them ▁efficient ▁enter pr ises . ▁ ▁In ▁the ▁late ▁ 1 8 5 0 s ▁B anning ▁and ▁a ▁group ▁of ▁Southern ▁California ▁invest ors ▁purchased ▁ 6 4 0 ▁acres ▁( 2 . 6 ▁km 2 ) ▁of ▁land ▁adjacent ▁to ▁San ▁Pedro ▁for ▁port ▁expansion . ▁The ▁land ▁purchase ▁was ▁incorpor ated ▁as ▁Wil ming ton , ▁after ▁B anning ' s ▁Del aware ▁birth place , ▁and ▁his ▁facility ▁became ▁known ▁as ▁B anning ' s ▁Land ing . ▁B anning ▁inv ested ▁the ▁prof its ▁from ▁his ▁trade ▁networks ▁into ▁the ▁development ▁of ▁a ▁more ▁s oph istic ated ▁port ▁complex ▁and ▁for ▁the ▁creation ▁of ▁roads , ▁te legraph s , ▁and ▁other ▁connections ▁to ▁Los ▁Angeles . ▁In ▁ 1 8 5 9 , ▁the ▁first ▁ocean - going ▁vessel ▁anch ored ▁in ▁Los ▁Angeles - Wil ming ton ▁har bor , ▁and ▁the ▁ 1 8 6 0 s ▁saw ▁the ▁beginning ▁of ▁small - scale ▁mar itime ▁trade ▁between ▁San ▁Pedro ▁and ▁ships ▁anch ored ▁in ▁the ▁deeper ▁parts ▁of ▁the ▁har bor