Loading map...

1966 Map of Mt. Wilson

Name: 1966 Topographic Map of Mt. Wilson
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1974
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1974

About this map

Mount Wilson stands as the centerpiece of this terrain, dominated by the Observatory, Solar Camera Tower, and various radio installations within the Angeles National Forest. The map documents the dense suburban expansion of the mid-1960s into the foothills, with purple-tinted revisions showing further urban growth by the early 1970s. The landscape transitions sharply from the steep peaks of Mt Harvard and Occidental Peak to the structured street grids of Pasadena and Sierra Madre.

Major institutional footprints are clearly defined, including the Calif Institute of Technology and Pasadena City College. The transit infrastructure of the era is preserved through the alignment of the Atchison Topeka and Santa Fe railroad and the historic path of the Mt Lowe Railway. Water management features like the Eaton Wash Spreading Ground and numerous gaging stations illustrate the complex engineering required to manage the runoff from the San Gabriel Mountains into the valley floor.