[2] Intended to eventually reach San Bernardino (San Bernardino County) and Independence (Inyo County) via Cajon Pass to serve the Cerro Gordo Silver Mines near Panamint, the line was never extended past downtown Los Angeles and was eventually acquired by Southern Pacific Railroad.

In the early 1870s, the new Cerro Gordo in the Owens Valley area of Inyo County, California, were producing a considerable amount of silver.

Supplies were likewise sent from Los Angeles by freight wagons northward to the Owens Valley mining regions.

The threat of possible competition over this freight traffic led Los Angeles civic leaders to consider a rail line to the area, to guarantee the continued profitable mining business.

[5] Finally, on March 28, 1874, the state of California granted former governor John G. Downey and banker and businessman F.P.F Temple a charter to construct a narrow-gauge railroad from Los Angeles to Independence in order to more efficiently transport freight to and from the area.

Belshaw, Victor Beaudry, James Brady, and Pat Reddy, all of whom had interests in the Cerro Gordo mines.

Temple assigned him to find a practical route from Los Angeles through the Cajon Pass to the mining districts, and then to Independence, California.

[8] At that same time the directors began to solicit local financial support for the railroad's construction, a process that took place over several months.

Crawford's report may have caught the attention of Nevada Senator John P. Jones, Comstock millionaire and operator of silver mines at Panamint, California, also in the Owens Valley.

Jones was made President, Temple became Treasurer, San Franciscan James A. Pritchard was Secretary, and Baker, Trenor W. Park, J. S. Slauson, and J. U. Crawford were directors.

Jones had paid $162,500 for a three quarters interest in the ranchos, and intended to develop a township he and Baker called Santa Monica.

A right-of-way between Santa Monica and the Los Angeles city limit was provided by local ranchers, anxious to have access to a railroad, for nominal sums.

Grading and the construction of the wharf began in February 24 at Santa Monica at "Shoo Fly Landing", which was at the foot of what is now Colorado Boulevard.

[19] This was enough to cause construction east of Los Angeles to stop in early September, including work in Cajon Pass and on a tunnel in the area.

Passengers were taken aboard covered flat cars to the Cienega stop by hack (carriage), and then transported by rail to Santa Monica.

At the end of the day, passengers took the rail line back to the Cienega station, and then took hacks to Los Angeles.

[25] The Southern Pacific extended the existing tracks in 1891 to their new Long Wharf north of Santa Monica Canyon to allow access to larger ships.

However, the U.S. Government's 1899 decision to build a breakwater in San Pedro and create the Port of Los Angeles, effectively doomed the natural harbors' (Redondo Beach and Santa Monica) use for commercial shipping traffic.

In 1912 Moving Picture World reported, "The old Southern Pacific passenger depot at Santa Monica has been leased by the Bison Company and will be remodeled and converted into business offices and dressing rooms.