1900 Map of Los Angeles

About this map

Los Angeles and its emerging suburban rings are documented here during a period of rapid transition from vast ranchos to an interconnected urban grid. Large Spanish-era land grants like La Brea, Los Felis, and Rodeo de Las Aguas still define the property boundaries of the basin, while new settlements like Hollywood, Burbank, and Tropico take shape along the Southern Pacific R. R. and the Los Angeles Terminal R. R. lines. To the north, the San Gabriel Timber Land Reserve rises sharply above Pasadena, featuring early mountain tourism landmarks such as the Mt. Lowe Hotel and the incline at Echo Mountain. The map captures the region's complex water landscape before major modern engineering, showing the seasonal courses of the Los Angeles River, Ballona Creek, and numerous washes and canyons draining the Santa Monica Mountains toward the Pacific Ocean.