1949 Map of Los Alamitos

About this map

The San Gabriel River and Coyote Creek anchor this mid-century landscape on the border of Los Angeles and Orange Counties. Developed settlements like Artesia, Bellflower, and Lakewood Village are contrasted by large agricultural and military holdings, including the expansive Naval Reservation and numerous ranches like Bryant Ranch and Bixby Ranch. The era's transportation network is clearly defined by the Pacific Electric and Southern Pacific railroad lines, which served the region's burgeoning residential areas and industries, such as the Oil Tank Farm near Cypress. Local aviation history is preserved through the footprints of Cranford Airport and the Cypress School of Aeronautics. To the south, the map reaches the coast at Seal Beach and Naples, showing the early layout of Marine Stadium and Alamitos Bay before intensive late-century coastal development.