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1953 Map of Beaumont

Name: 1953 Topographic Map of Beaumont
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1970
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1970

About this map

The San Gorgonio Pass serves as a natural corridor for commerce and community in the mid-20th century, dominated by the established towns of Beaumont and Banning. The Southern Pacific railroad cuts through the center of the pass, supporting industrial points like Pershing Siding while the surrounding landscape transitions from the gridded orchards of Cherry Valley to the protected wildlands of the San Bernardino National Forest.

Social infrastructure is well-defined on this 1953 survey, featuring institutions like the San Gorgonio Pass Memorial Hospital, St Boniface School, and Hemmerling School. The map reveals the early residential development of the Banning and Beaumont areas, framed by the steep rise of the San Jacinto Mountains to the south and the Banning Bench to the north, highlighting the importance of the pass as a transportation and settlement hub in Riverside County.