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1902 Map of Downey

Name: 1902 Topographic Map of Downey
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1924
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1924

About this map

Large rancho tracts like Paso De Bartolo and Los Cerritos dominate the landscape of the Los Angeles basin in this late-19th-century survey. The region is defined by the shifting courses of the San Gabriel River and Los Angeles River, which cut through a network of emerging agricultural towns and rail junctions. Distinctive markers of the era include the Poor Farm Sta. and the artesian wells of Fulton Wells, reflecting the social and natural resource management of a growing California.

Railroad expansion is evident through the numerous branches of the Southern Pacific R.R. and the Atchison Topeka and Santa Fe R.R., which connected coastal points like San Pedro Bay to inland hubs. From the heights of Signal Hill down to the marshes of Alamitos Bay, the map captures a pivotal moment when seasonal settlements like Spanishtown existed alongside established centers like Whittier and Downey.