Understand
Marina del Rey, like much of the City of Angels, has a rich and colorful history -- it's just not all that old. The harbor at the heart of the community of Marina del Rey is an example of a successful Army Corps of Engineers project; funded and planned cooperatively by the Federal government, Los Angeles County and private developers, it is the largest man-made marina in the United States with over 4,700 small-boat slips.
The ancient Gabrieleno Indians were likely the region's first residents, living along the bluffs above the ocean, the neighborhood's first fishermen and hunters. Eventually they shared the land and sea, the good duck hunting and fishing, with the Spanish and then first Angelenos. Marina del Rey, much to the relief of current locals, lost several bids to become Southern California's main port and shipping harbor.
Until the 1950s, early automotive races were held here, running from Playa del Rey to Venice along a roadway on the Marina peninsula now appropriately known as Speedway. Beneath the race tracks and marshes it turned out there was black gold and plenty of it. Beginning in the early 1930s, oil rigs came pumping to rhythmic life, dotting the landscape with iron skeletons as far as the camera could see.
In the 1950s, construction began on the current harbor and district of Marina del Rey.
