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1896 Map of Anaheim

Name: 1896 Topographic Map of Anaheim
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1896
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1896

About this map

The Santa Ana River carves a path through this late-nineteenth-century landscape, separating the high peaks of the Puente Hills from the developing citrus groves and town sites of the basin. The region is at the height of its early railroad expansion, with the Atchison Topeka and Santa Fe RR and the Southern Pacific RR intersecting near Anaheim and Fullerton. These iron veins connect established hubs like Orange and Garden Grove to smaller outlying stations and settlements including Richfields, Yorba, and Almond.

Beyond the grid of early town planning, the map details the expansive ranchos and land grants that defined local geography, such as San Juan Cajon de Santa Ana and Lomas de Santiago. This survey captures the area just as it began its transition from open grazing lands and canyons like Brea Canyon into an organized agricultural and transit corridor, anchored by landmarks such as the S.E. Base and the winding Santiago Creek.