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1940 Map of Mescal Creek

Name: 1940 Topographic Map of Mescal Creek
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1940
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1940

About this map

Antelope Valley meets the northern slopes of the San Gabriel Mountains in this early 1940s study of the high desert transition. The landscape is defined by the massive tectonic scarring of the San Andreas Rift Zone, which runs northwest-southeast across the lower third of the quadrangle. Small-scale settlement and ranching are concentrated around the foothills, with Largo Vista serving as a notable point of interest alongside the Soules Ranch further south.

Infrastructure in this era is represented by a network of arterial roads including the Pear Blossom Highway and the Fort Tejon Road, which cut through the arid terrain. Within the Angeles National Forest, the topography becomes intensely dissected by drainage systems like Graham Canyon and Boulder Canyon. Local water sources, crucial for the area's development, are marked by features such as Caldwell Lake and various isolated springs.