1862 : Civil War action in California? Well, not exactly. In Wilmington California, which is not far from Long Beach and the Port of Los Angeles, there exists a historical site called The Drum Barracks where there was a military presence. If you're a Civil War buff or had ancestors in that conflict, this could be interesting. This historical site has reopened for tours with a reservation and proof of Covid vaccine.
DRUM BARRACKS ORG - WILMINGTON CALIFORNIA
At this site you'll get a good report on why there soldiers and officers on the Union site. Basically California had become a state a little more than a decade earlier but only 25% of the population voted for the Union side. Texans captured Southern Arizona (half the territory) for the Confederacy. Also a man named Phineas Banning, who was instrumental in the early foundation of a port which would expand greatly in the future, was a Unionist. So he and his peers wanted to keep the state for the Union. Thousands of soldiers were stationed in the area prepared to fight to keep the Confederates out of California and possibly battle in other territories such as Arizona.
If you're coming from a distance, you'll probably want to tour the Banning House at the same time as they are close to each other.
THE BANNING MUSEUM Link includes Virtual tour
Long before Covid shut downs I did manage to tour this house. The visitor's center has the genealogy of the family on the wall. The house dates to 1864 and has 19 rooms open to the public. There is also a barn and other dwellings in the park that are part of the estate.
