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1939 Map of Mt. Lowe

Name: 1939 Topographic Map of Mt. Lowe
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1939
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1939

About this map

The San Gabriel Mountains rise sharply in this 1930s survey, documenting a period of intense recreational development within the Angeles National Forest. A primary focus of the sheet is the elaborate infrastructure on Mt Lowe and Echo Mountain, where the Cable Incline and Scenic RR once carried visitors to the famed Mt Lowe Tavern. This early-century alpine tourist destination is preserved here alongside the Angeles Crest Highway, then a critical new artery through the high country.

Down in the canyons, localized settlements like Oakwilde and Switzers Camp provided basepoints for hikers and forest workers. The map reveals the varied social uses of the mountain front, from the educational grounds of the Los Angeles Schools Forestry Center to the La Vina Sanatorium situated in the foothills near Arroyo Seco. Fire prevention infrastructure is prominent, including numerous firebreaks and several forest service facilities such as the Waterman Guard Station and Sunset Ridge Guard Station.