In Redondo Beach, the lure of a harbor drew investors and entrepreneurs, adventurers and risk-takers, who poured their hearts, souls, and fortunes into the waterfront. By 1892, when Redondo Beach was incorporated, 86 vessels had already called at the new city, bringing 8,216 tons of building supplies. For those vessels to arrive safely, a harbor was needed, but the original harbor had piers extending into the open sea without a shielding breakwater. When the weather turned, the area caught the full force of the northwest wind and its crushing waves. In September 1938, bonds passed for construction of a 1,485-foot breakwater with government help, but World War II delayed the project. In 1956, with the backing of Rep. Cecil R. King, Congress authorized completion of the breakwater at a cost of $5 million, and King Harbor was formally dedicated 10 years later on November 19, 1966. The Army Corps of Engineers later raised, extended, and repaired the breakwater several times, and in 1989 the city dredged the harbor to repair shoaling caused by the previous winter storms. Despite weather and adversity, the attraction of a business near the water has continued to entice visionaries to pursue their dreams.