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1949 Map of Richmond

Name: 1949 Topographic Map of Richmond
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1949
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1949

About this map

Richmond and its industrial waterfront dominate this postwar landscape, where the heavy rail lines of the Southern Pacific and the Atchison Topeka and Santa Fe converge near the Richmond Inner Harbor. The map reveals a dense network of neighborhoods defined by a massive postwar educational infrastructure, including schools like Richmond Evening School, Nystrom Sch, and the Chung Mei Boys Home.

Beyond the urban grid, the terrain rises sharply into the Berkeley Hills and San Pablo Ridge, where residential expansion meets the open spaces of Charles Lee Tilden Regional Park. Notable industrial footprints, such as the Oil Tank Farm near San Pablo and the piers at Giant, illustrate the era's reliance on maritime and rail commerce. Coastal features like Brooks Island and Pt. Isabel remain undeveloped, contrasting with the tightly packed streets of Albany and El Cerrito.