anning ▁spent ▁the ▁ 1 8 7 0 s ▁in ▁a ▁f ren zy ▁of ▁activity . ▁As ▁a ▁California ▁state ▁sen ator , ▁he ▁campaign ed ▁for ▁greater ▁transport ation ▁connections ▁to ▁the ▁city ▁of ▁Los ▁Angeles ▁and ▁the ▁growing ▁port , ▁his ▁personal ▁project . ▁B anning ▁eventually ▁pushed ▁through ▁a ▁plan ▁for ▁a ▁small ▁rail road ▁linking ▁Wil ming ton / San ▁Pedro ▁with ▁the ▁main ▁city ▁of ▁Los ▁Angeles , ▁effectively ▁hal ving ▁the ▁time ▁necessary ▁for ▁the ▁trip , ▁but ▁the ▁plan ▁was ▁short - l ived . ▁The ▁Southern ▁Pacific ▁Rail road ▁began ▁building ▁track ▁to ▁connect ▁Southern ▁California ▁to ▁the ▁greater ▁national ▁rail road ▁lines , ▁and ▁demanded ▁much ▁of ▁Los ▁Angeles ' ▁prime ▁real ▁estate , ▁an ▁enorm ous ▁sum ▁of ▁money , ▁and ▁B anning ' s ▁small ▁conne ctor ▁line ▁rail road ▁in ▁exchange ▁for ▁adding ▁Los ▁Angeles ▁as ▁a ▁termin us ▁on ▁the ▁rail road . ▁ ▁Real izing ▁that ▁Los ▁Angeles ▁would ▁with er ▁into ▁nothing ness ▁if ▁the ▁company ▁by pass ed ▁it , ▁the ▁city ▁comp lied ▁and ▁B anning ▁surrender ed ▁his ▁hard - ear ned ▁rail road . ▁ ▁Several ▁personal ▁success es ▁marked ▁the ▁de cade ▁for ▁B anning . ▁The ▁first ▁break water ▁was ▁built ▁for ▁the ▁nas cent ▁port ▁in ▁ 1 8 7 3 , ▁and ▁B anning ▁began ▁to ▁work ▁for ▁the ▁Southern ▁Pacific ▁as ▁a ▁rail road ▁agent . ▁ ▁Final ▁years ▁By ▁ 1 8 8 0 , ▁B anning