Keeping History Alive Lecture – Wilmington: Civil War Boomtown?

On Saturday, March 15 at 11 am in the Banning barn, the Keeping History Alive series continues with a presentation by Drum Barracks Director, Tara Fansler and staff on what was happening in the Wilmington during the Civil War.

Wilmington, home to the Banning Museum and Drum Barracks Civil War Museum, is a little town with a big history. During the Civil War it was the Union Army Headquarters for Southern California, Arizona and New Mexico. Images and accounts of 1860s Wilmington are so varied. It was an economic powerhouse poised to challenge Los Angeles for dominance in the south. It was a beehive of military activity. It was a barren sandy spot on San Pedro Bay. It was a healthy, seaside retreat. It was Banning’s Hog Wallow. What was early Wilmington really like? Drum Barracks Museum Director, Tara Fansler, will use 19th century newspapers, military reports, and first-hand sources, to explore different impressions of Wilmington during the Civil War.

Ms. Fansler will be accompanied by two Drum Barracks staff members, Eric Frederickson and George Green, dressed as Union soldiers. After her lecture they will talk about uniforms, weapons, food, the soldier’s life in camp, and life on the march.

This presentation aims to bring Civil War Wilmington to life!

2025 marks the 160th anniversary of the end of the Civil War, and this is a wonderful chance to explore local Civil War history.

Tara Fansler has worked for the City of Los Angeles for more than two decades preserving and sharing the history of Wilmington. During her time at the City she has worked as curator of the Banning Museum, Director of Archives and Collections at the Port of Los Angeles, and Director of Drum Barracks Civil War Museum. She curated the “Improbable Gateway” exhibit at the Banning Museum and co-curated the exhibition, “Taminaru: A Day in the Life of a Japanese American Fishing Village”, at the Los Angeles Maritime Museum.
She has a BA in History, from the University of California, Santa Barbara, and an MA in History, with an emphasis in 19th century Los Angeles, from Cal State LA.

George Green has been involved with Drum Barracks since the 1990s, first as a volunteer and later as a staff member. He has extensive knowledge of the Civil War in the Southwest and is a Civil War reenactor and educator.

Eric Frederickson is retired from the Orange County Department of Parks and Recreation and has extensive experience working at historic sites. He began volunteering at Drum Barracks Civil War Museum in 2018 and joined the staff in 2023.