31832164 http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w68m56wj revised SNAC: Social Networks and Archival Context English VIAF revised 2015-09-24 machine CPF merge program Merge v2.0 revised 2016-08-12T16:08:03 machine SNAC EAC-CPF Parser Bulk ingest into SNAC Database revised 2016-08-12T16:08:03 human System Service (system@localhost) created 2026-05-27 machine SNAC EAC-CPF Serializer SNAC Identity Constellation serialized to EAC-CPF /data/source/findingAids/oac/usc/rhc/0243up.xml Hancock, Henry, 1822-1883 -- Archives person Hancock, Henry, 1822-1883 presumed Hancock, Henry presumed 1822-04-11 1883-01-09 Coastal mapping Geodesy Hydrographic surveying Hydrography Railroads Ranches Regional planning Submerged lands Surveying Topographical surveying Transportation Viaducts Long Beach Harbor (Calif.) California, Southern Long Beach (Calif.) San Gabriel River (Calif.) Aliso Street Viaduct Port of Long Beach Terminal Island (Calif.) Huntington Beach (Calif.) San Pedro (Los Angeles, Calif.) Wilmington (Los Angeles, Calif.) Los Angeles (Calif.)

Historical Background

The story of the Union Pacific Railroad's involvement with oil and the Tidelands goes back to at least 1911 when the State of California granted the City of Long Beach its tidelands properties for development of commerce, navigation, fisheries, and recreation under a public trust doctine, meaning any development and revenues from such development would have to benefit the state as a whole rather than merely neighboring communities. (The tidelands are defined as land and waterways from the mean high tide to three miles offshore.)

Though oil had been discovered at Signal Hill in 1921, it wasn't until 1932 that oil was discovered in adjacent lands, mainly at the West Wilmington Oil Field. A few years later, the California Legislature gave the California State Lands Commission authority over California's ungranted public trust lands (tidelands, submerged lands, and navigable waters). In 1939 the City of Long Beach Harbor Department created a Petroleum Division and drilled the first well under the tidelands.

The years between 1932 and 1958 saw a succession of court cases and landmark decisions regarding the City's rights to conduct oil operations, property disputes between the City of Long Beach and the Union Pacific Railroad, and the expenditure of oil revenues. Throughout the twentieth century, the tidelands trust doctrine, overseen by the three-member California State Lands Commission, has changed drastically and what exactly is considered state public land use has been a debate since the beginning, leading to lawsuits and jurisdictional amendments over the years.

In the early 1990s, the Port of Long Beach purchased the 725-acre Union Pacific Railroad site, within the Wilmington Field off the coast of Long Beach for $405 million for the land and mineral rights.

From the guide to the Union Pacific Railroad Tidelands records, 1940s-1950s, (USC Libraries Special Collections) Aldrich, Lloyd Atchison, Topeka, and Santa Fe Railroad Company. Bache, A. D., (Alexander Dallas), 1806-1867 Bates, Francis E. California. State Lands Commission. Hansen, George, 1824-1897 Lippincott, Joseph Barlow, 1864-1942 Los Angeles (Calif.). Harbor Dept.. Los Angeles & Salt Lake Railroad Company Pacific Electric Railway Company. Railroad Commission of the State of California. San Pedro, Los Angeles & Salt Lake Railroad Company. Southern Pacific Company. Union Pacific Railroad Company. U.S. Coast and Geodetic Survey. Hancock, Henry, active 1846-1859, Colonel; Lieutenant -General 1869 Hancock, Henry, 1822-1883 Union Pacific Railroad Tidelands records, 1940s-1950s Union Pacific Railroad Tidelands records 1940s-1950s 30.0 Linear feet; 12 boxes, 3 mapcase drawers When the Union Pacific Railroad and Southern Pacific Railroad merged in 1997 and the former did a housecleaning of its inventory, many of the Union Pacific's archival materials were saved. The records that were donated to USC were chiefly those that were generated in the 1940s and 50s as part of the Tidelands controversies, concerning the Los Angeles / Long Beach / Wilmington harbor areas, and documenting channels, wetlands, islands, elevations, and shoreline. In addition to many maps, drawings, and historical files, the records consist of many volumes of land surveys (done by civil engineer Francis Bates) which were done in the old tidelands area in the 1930s and 40s. Mr. Bates also obtained copies of many of the original rancho documents for this area (e.g. Rancho Los Cerritos) to provide a complete history of the harbor, onshore and offshore. English USC Libraries Special Collections Union Pacific Railroad Company. Union Pacific Railroad Tidelands records, 1940s-1950s. Union Pacific Railroad Company. Union Pacific Railroad Tidelands records, 1940s-1950s. 30 linear ft. (12 boxes, 3 mapcase drawers) The collection consists chiefly of maps, blueprints, legal documents, and correspondence related to the dispute between the City of Long Beach and the Union Pacific Railroad (and various other property disputes) regarding the location of the tideland boundary line and the revenue generated from the sale or disposition of oil, gas, etc from the tidelands. The collection also documents the construction of the Aliso St. Viaduct in the 1930s. Highlights of the collection include photostats of maps and early Rancho documents procured by surveyor Francis Bates, as well as field notes by Henry Hancock in the 1850s. One particular document is a certified copy (with official seal) of Field Notes of the Final Survey of the Rancho San Pedro, Don Manuel Dominguez, Confirmee, by Henry Hancock, Deputy Surveyor, Under his instructions of December 11, 1857. Similar documents are included for [Ranchos] Los Cerritos, Los Alamitos, Las Bolsas, San Antonio, Los Coyotes, La Bolsa Chica, and Santa Gertrudes. University of Southern California, USC Libraries