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1942 Map of Banning

Name: 1942 Topographic Map of Banning
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1952
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1952

About this map

Morongo Indian Reservation and the Soboba Indian Reservation anchor this 1940s landscape, illustrating the proximity of tribal lands to the burgeoning towns of Banning and Beaumont. The presence of the St Boniface Indian Sch and the Banning Ranger Station highlights the administrative and social infrastructure of the era, while the Southern Pacific tracks through the San Gorgonio Pass define the region's transport corridor.

Thermal activity is a notable characteristic of the terrain, marked by the Highland Springs Resort, Gilman Hot Springs, and Soboba Hot Springs. These sites reflect a mid-century reliance on natural spring tourism. In the southern valley, the San Jacinto River skirts San Jacinto and Hemet, where the Atchison Topeka & Santa Fe rail lines terminate. This survey captures a moment before modern suburban expansion, when large landholdings like the Rancho Potrero and Gandy Ranch still dictated the landscape's character.