1933 Map of Black Butte

About this map

Antelope Valley dominates this 1930s landscape, a time when isolated homesteads and ranching outposts defined the character of northeastern Los Angeles County. The high desert terrain is punctuated by volcanic features like Black Butte and the distinctive chain of hills known as the Three Sisters. At the time of this survey, the region was sparsely populated, with life centered around family-held operations such as Hibbard Ranch, Morrison Ranch, and Vanderburg Ranch. The map captures the geometric precision of the First Standard Parallel North, showing how early surveyors imposed order on the scrubland. This document offers a window into the transition of the California desert before mid-century development, recording the exact placement of windmills, tanks, and tracks that served these early twentieth-century settlers near Brase Ranch.