Muller House

In 1899, Edward Muller, a prominent founding citizen of San Pedro built a home at First and Front Street for his parents who resided in Wilmington. They choose not to move to the new home. William Muller purchased the home in 1901. In 1912, Front Street was cut down to be widened and became Harbor Blvd. At this time the house was relocated by mule and wagon to 19th Street and Grand Avenue where it remained until 1986 when it was donated to the San Pedro Bay Historical Society for use as a museum.

The house reflects the changes made by the Muller family during their years of living in it. The house was declared Cultural Heritage Monument # 254 in 1982. The land the house sits on is leased from the City of Los Angeles and is maintained by the Society. It was renovated by the Society and was opened to the public in the fall of 1990.

San Pedro Bay Historical Archives

San Pedro Bay Historical Archives
638 S. Beacon St.
Room 626
San Pedro, CA 9073
 
(310) 548-3208
 
Mondays and Wednesdays, 1-4 PM (PST)

The Library emphasizes local history, marine business, union history,Terminal Island and some San Pedro City Directories.

Microfilms of each San Pedro newspaper, starting with the San Pedro News (from 1906 to March 1928), San Pedro Pilot (1917 to March 1928), and then the combined San Pedro News-Pilot from 1928 to 1998. A viewing machine is available with an usage fee of $2.00, plus a charge for printing copies.

The Newspaper Clippings are organized by subject. Most of the clippings are from the 1970's on to the present. The Biography file is extensive. Additionally, the Archives has copies of local papers from 1910 to the 1940's. These include the Daily News, The Pilot and The News-Pilot. The collection is not complete. The collection also includes copies of the papers of the high school, junior high school and Random Lengths.

The collection of San Pedro High School annuals is complete from 1909 to the early 1980's with the exception of 1935 and 1950. The World War II years produced no year books.

Periodicals include Pacific Historical Review, Terra, American West Review, California Historical, Palos Verdes Review, CalShips and California Historical Society Quarterly.Available also are the indexes for some periodicals complied by AnnaMarie and Everett Hager.

The Document File has documents in many areas with emphasis on the early days of the San Pedro Chamber of Commerce, Fort MacArthur, the local fishing industry and local unions. Many documents are original sources.

The Large Picture File has over 9,500 photos which are organized by subject matter. There is an emphasis on the Port of Los Angeles, local street scenes, schools, churches and Terminal Island.

The Small Picture File has an extensive collection of photos of fishing boats from the days of San Pedro's heavy involvement in the fishing industry. Many of the small photos are of more recent times.

The Negative File offers negatives covering businesses (many of which no longer exist), fishing boats and the Port of Los Angeles.

The Pamphlet File compliments the collection. The Port of Los Angeles section includes the annual reports from the early years to the 1990's. There are other Port publications also. Among the many areas covered, we are accumulating a collection of locally produced cookbooks from the various community groups of San Pedro starting in the 1950's.

The Large Map collection is housed in two map cases. Original maps of the harbor and community are here, as well as copies of such maps as the Sanborn Maps for the early years. Many maps show the changes that took place in the development of the harbor.

The Small Map collection has maps of early days. A recent copy from the 1953 Thomas Bros. Map Book shows the streets in the housing projects no longer in existence (i.e. Channel Heights). Maps of Terminal Island prior to the many changes are also available for research.

Some Oversize pictures and scrapbooks are housed in the third map case.

The Ephemera File has a variety of items ranging from napkins from the Free Harbor Breakwater celebration to old cruise line menus to business cards. Many of these cards represent businesses no longer here.

The Large Slide File is small but does have some early views.

The Small Slide File is larger and includes a slide presentation of the Terminal Island Japanese evacuation. It also includes local stain glass windows, Fort MacArthur and community activities.

There are over 100 oral interview cassettes. The Oral History Committee continues to interview members of the community. A transcriber is working on transcribing the cassettes.

The video collection contains videos of oral interviews, Society programs, locally produced videos on the World Port and San Pedro Hospital and other local groups. There are also some videos on various Sportswalk dedications and local games.

Realia has items ranging from items dug up in the building of the Marina, to memorabilia from the Port of Los Angeles, to plaques from the Fishermen's Fiesta, to buttons from local organizations.

Some local organizations have deposited their past records with the Archives. Included in this group are the San Pedro Women's Club, the San Pedro Garden Club, the Mazzini and the San Pedro Branch of the American Association of University Women.

Many papers were donated from Vincent Thomas, longtime Assemblyman and John Gibson, longtime 15th District Councilman.

The above material is acquisitioned and indexed. A card catalog offers additional assistance. Our skilled volunteers are ready to assist researchers. We continue to acquire new materials in all areas.

The Archives also have available for purchase publications of the San Pedro Bay Historical Society. This includes the Pictorial History of San Pedro, Boomtown (for those who purchased the first edition of the history and need only the update), The Vincent Thomas Bridge: San Pedro's Golden Gate, plus Shorelines. Shorelines are publications of work done by Society members on specific subjects. These have been published from the mid-1970's to the present, cover a variety of subjects regarding local history and are $5.00 each.

Sample Images