1928 Map of La Brea

About this map

La Puente Hills dominate this 1925 landscape, revealing a period of early 20th-century development where citrus ranching and petroleum exploration met the expanding infrastructure of Southern California. The Union Pacific Railroad cuts through the northern edge, anchoring the settlement of Otterbein, where the Fairview School served local families. Steep canyons like Brea Canyon and Soquel Canyon define the topography, with a lone Oil Well marking the region's industrial potential. Large landholdings like the Silver Peak Ranch are visible alongside a nascent grid of roads including Grazide Road and Walnut Drive. This survey, overseen by Board of Supervisors chairman R. F. McClellan and county surveyor J. E. Rockhold, captures the intersection of three counties—Los Angeles, Orange, and San Bernardino—before the post-war suburban transformation of the region.