1896 Map of Redondo

About this map

Redondo and the surrounding South Bay landscape appear here as a network of early settlements and sprawling ranchos during the late nineteenth century. The coast is defined by significant wetlands and lagoons, such as Ballona Lagoon and the Wilmington Lagoon near the southern shore. Inland, the terrain is shaped by broad land grants including Sausal Redondo and Aguaje de la Centinela, where emerging towns like Inglewood and Gardena are connected by the Redondo Branch and the Atchison Topeka and Santa Fe R. R. railroads. Near the harbor at Wilmington, the presence of the Drum Barracks highlights the area's strategic importance. This survey documents the transition of the Los Angeles basin from open grazing lands to a structured agricultural and coastal economy, long before the intensive industrialization and residential development of the mid-twentieth century.