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1949 Map of Long Beach

Name: 1949 Topographic Map of Long Beach
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1955
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1955

About this map

The sprawling postwar landscape of Long Beach and Signal Hill is meticulously captured here just as the suburban boom of the late 1940s was transforming the Los Angeles County coastline. Centered on the industrial and residential grid, the map reveals a city defined by its relationship to the Pacific Ocean and the Los Angeles River. While the shoreline is dominated by the Long Beach Harbor and the iconic Rainbow Pier, the inland geography is marked by the presence of numerous Oil Wells, particularly around the heights of Signal Hill.

Genealogists and local historians can trace the development of burgeoning neighborhoods like Bixby Knolls, Lakewood, and Naples, alongside a dense network of schools such as Polytechnic High Sch and Jordan High Sch. The map preserves the location of cultural landmarks including the Dominguez Ranch House and the Municipal Auditorium, while also highlighting the infrastructure of the era, from the Long Beach Municipal Airport (Daugherty Field) to the extensive rail lines of the Pacific Electric and Union Pacific.