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1903 Map of Rock Creek

Name: 1903 Topographic Map of Rock Creek
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1916
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1916

About this map

The high San Gabriel Mountains meet the arid floor of the Mohave Desert in this topographic study based on fieldwork from the turn of the century. The landscape is defined by the sharp transition between the densely contoured ridges of the Angeles National Forest and the alluvial plains to the north. Rare instances of early settlement appear at the base of these mountains, including Shoemaker and Big Rock Villa, alongside the isolated Squirrel Inn near Sycamore Flat.

Water management is central to the area's development, evidenced by the ditch systems and Reservoir drawing from Rock Creek. These early irrigation efforts contrast with the dramatic geological features like the Devils Punchbowl and the deep incisions of Chileno Canyon and Graveyard Canyon. For local historians, the map preserves the original locations of these small outposts and the naming of peaks such as North Baldy and Waterman Mt. before later 20th-century shifts in regional infrastructure.