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1953 Map of Hemet

Name: 1953 Topographic Map of Hemet
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1971
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1971

About this map

The San Jacinto Valley serves as the focal point for this early 1950s survey, showing the agricultural and urban expansion of Hemet and Valle Vista. The northern landscape is meticulously organized by a grid of citrus groves and vineyards, served by the Atchison Topeka & Santa Fe railroad and major thoroughfares like Florida Ave and Stetson Ave. Settlement patterns here are defined by established homesteads and livestock operations, including the Searl Ranch, Mission Ranch, and Goodhart Ranch, which occupy the fertile ground between the valley floor and the rising foothills.

To the south, the topography shifts dramatically into the Santa Rosa Hills and Diamond Valley. Steep canyons such as Bautista Canyon, St Johns Canyon, and Cactus Valley carve through the terrain, punctuated by prominent landmarks like Hemet Butte and Polly Butte. This map documents a period when local infrastructure, such as the Little Lake School and the Reservoir Butte water system, was expanding to support the growing citrus-based economy of Riverside County.