1966 Map of El Monte

About this map

Mission San Gabriel anchors the historic landscape of the San Gabriel Valley during a period of rapid mid-century expansion. The map captures the suburban transformation of the 1960s, showing a dense network of residential streets and schools like Potrero Heights Sch and St Benedict Sch filling the spaces between established hubs. The hydrological management of the region is a central theme, evidenced by the expansive Whittier Narrows Recreation Area and the Whittier Narrows Dam which control the Rio Hondo and San Gabriel River. This infrastructure created the recreational landscape of Legg Lake, contrasting with the industrial and extraction zones of the Montebello Hills oil fields. To the south, the massive footprint of Rose Hills Memorial Park and the developing campus of Rio Hondo Jr College mark the transition into the Puente Hills.