1902 Map of Downey

About this map

The Los Angeles River and San Gabriel River dominate this coastal landscape, flowing toward San Pedro Bay across a sprawling grid of ranchos and early rail settlements. Surveyed in the 1890s, the map documents the transition of Spanish land grants like Los Cerritos and Santa Gertrudis into a burgeoning network of small towns and industrial sidings. The rail-heavy infrastructure is evident through lines like the San Pedro Branch and the Los Angeles and San Diego Branch, which connect rural outposts such as Norwalk and Artesia to the growing urban centers of Compton and Long Beach. Local landmarks like the Poor Farm Sta. and Bouton Well provide specific points of interest for genealogists, while the early footprints of Alamitos Beach and Terminal Island show the coastline before its modern industrial expansion.