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1957 Map of Long Beach

Name: 1957 Topographic Map of Long Beach
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1979
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1979

About this map

Santa Catalina Island and the rugged offshore chain dominate this 1957 bathymetric and topographic study, which captures the Southern California coast during a period of intense post-war urbanization. While the mainland shows the dense expansion of Long Beach, Torrance, and Compton, the maritime focus reveals the complex underwater topography of the Santa Monica Basin and the Santa Rosa-Cortes Ridge.

Military and conservation footprints are clearly delineated, from the Fort MacArthur Lower Reservation at San Pedro to the early boundaries of the Channel Islands Nat Mon encompassing Santa Barbara Island. The map is particularly valuable for its hydrographic detail, naming remote features like Begg Rock and Albatross Knoll, while recording the industrial shoreline around the Naval Base and the mouths of the San Gabriel River.