In 1903…
San Pedro was an independent city of approximately
2,500 residents. Lumber and railroads dominated the
waterfront, and the construction of the federal
breakwater was underway. The local shipyards were busy
filling the demand for small fishing boats and
pleasure craft.
In 1903, Peter Adolph "Al" Larson, a native of Sweden,
established his first boat shop in East San Pedro (on
Terminal Island) in the vicinity of berth 224. The
boat building skills he learned at the San Francisco
yard of George Kneass allowed him to compete
successfully for clients. Soon he would be obliged to
hire several shipwrights to assist him with the
demands for construction and maintenance of the local
fishing fleet.
Little would Larson realize that his modest boat
business would outlast wars, economic depression, and
all of its local competition to survive as the oldest
shipyard in Southern California.
Photograph Courtesy Larson Family Collection
