1930 Map of Compton

About this map

The Dominguez Hills dominate this 1930 survey, a landscape defined by the transition from agricultural tracts to a burgeoning industrial corridor. The map reveals an intensive concentration of petroleum infrastructure, including the Shell Oil Dominguez Refinery and numerous installations like the General Petroleum Tank Farm and Pan American Refinery near Watson. This industrial expansion is juxtaposed with established community landmarks such as the Gardena Japanese School, the Spanish American Institute, and the Compton Sanitarium. The drainage patterns of Nigger Slough and Compton Creek are visible alongside the straightening of the Los Angeles River channel. Key transportation arteries, including the Pacific Electric Railway and the Southern Pacific Railroad, illustrate the transit-oriented development patterns that connected Gardena, Compton, and the outlying settlements of Strawberry Park and Davidson City during the pre-war era.