Placing a Land Dispute in Context

Regarding “Bigger Wilmington of Old” (Times, April 27):

Had I known the tenor of the responses from (the) Harbor City Chamber of Commerce and (Los Angeles) Councilwoman (Joan Milke) Flores’ office, I could have provided additional information to properly place the issue in context. The impression left by the article is that the area in question has long been considered part of Harbor City. This is not the case at all. It has only been in the last several years that any dispute has existed.

If any “land grab” has occurred, it has been on the part of those in Harbor City who know darn well that this area has always been considered to be part of Wilmington. The Harbor Freeway has never been commonly accepted as a border by the people of Wilmington, and Mrs. Flores’ statements merely reflect her estrangement from this community and the political favoritism which she lavishes on the expanded Harbor City, which is her creation.

Certainly her predecessor John Gibson never believed that this area was part of Harbor City. A copy of the 1977-1979 Wilmington directory provided by Mr. Gibson to the community contains a map of Wilmington which clearly shows the area under discussion. I submit that 1979 was not turn of the century or ancient history; it was just 11 years ago. . . .

The city enjoys the option of defining districts for purposes of administration. However, it has absolutely no authority or right to misrepresent, distort or rewrite history. The Wilmington Historical Society is dedicated to the preservation of Wilmington’s past and we will not allow these misrepresentations to go unchallenged.

PHILIP M. PETERSON

President

Wilmington Historical Society