1938 Map of Black Mountain

About this map

Los Padres National Forest dominates this 1930s topographic study of the steep terrain along the border of Los Angeles and Ventura counties. The map focuses on the drainage of Piru Creek, which carves through the mountains toward the southern edge of the sheet. Rising prominently at the southern extent is Dome Mtn, a landform that defines the local topography in this sparsely settled region. This survey, conducted by C.W.H.Nessler in 1932, reveals a landscape primarily dedicated to public forest lands, with few indications of human development beyond the county boundary lines and a solitary Spring. The sheer verticality of the terrain is captured with 25-foot contour intervals, providing an exact record of the watershed before mid-century changes in the region.