▁signed ▁up ▁to ▁work ▁a ▁passage ▁to ▁a ▁then - ex otic ▁destination — S ou thern ▁California . ▁ ▁California ▁and ▁enter prise ▁ ▁B anning ▁arrived ▁in ▁San ▁Pedro , ▁California , ▁in ▁ 1 8 5 1 , ▁after ▁a ▁long ▁land ▁and ▁sea ▁journey ▁that ▁included ▁crossing ▁the ▁is th mus ▁of ▁Pan ama ▁before ▁taking ▁another ▁ship ▁to ▁California . ▁The ▁ 2 1 - year - old ▁was ▁am bit ious ▁and ▁worked ▁in ▁the ▁fish ing ▁village ▁of ▁San ▁Pedro , ▁initially ▁as ▁a ▁store ▁cl erk , ▁and ▁later ▁as ▁a ▁stage co ach ▁driver ▁on ▁the ▁line ▁that ▁connected ▁the ▁ham let ▁with ▁the ▁pueblo ▁of ▁Los ▁Angeles , ▁a ▁town ▁of ▁less ▁than ▁ 2 , 0 0 0 ▁people ▁ 2 0 ▁miles ▁( 3 0   km ) ▁to ▁the ▁north . ▁ ▁B anning ▁was ▁elected ▁to ▁a ▁one - year ▁term ▁on ▁the ▁Los ▁Angeles ▁Common ▁Council , ▁the ▁gover ning ▁body ▁of ▁that ▁city , ▁beginning ▁May ▁ 1 0 , ▁ 1 8 5 8 , ▁and ▁ending ▁May ▁ 9 , ▁ 1 8 5 9 . ▁ ▁B anning ▁began ▁his ▁own ▁st aging ▁and ▁sh ipping ▁company . ▁ ▁By ▁the ▁ 1 8 6 0 s , ▁B anning ▁stage co ach ▁w ag ons ▁were ▁travel ing ▁to ▁Salt ▁Lake ▁City , ▁the ▁K ern ▁River ▁gold ▁fields , ▁the ▁new ▁military ▁installation ▁at ▁Y uma , ▁Arizona , ▁the ▁M orm