1943 Map of Downey

About this map

Signal Hill and the expanding urban footprint of Long Beach dominate the southern portion of this wartime Los Angeles Basin survey. The landscape is defined by the rigid grid of the Imperial Highway and Firestone Blvd, yet it still retains pockets of unbuilt terrain and agricultural lands in areas like La Mirada and Cerritos. The complex industrial and transit-heavy nature of the region is evident through the convergence of major rail lines, including the Pacific Electric and Southern Pacific, which linked the many industrial hubs and residential centers of the mid-20th century.