1959 Map of San Bernardino

About this map

The San Bernardino Mountains and the arid expanse of the Mojave Desert dominate this late 1950s landscape, illustrating a period of significant military and suburban expansion in Southern California. Strategic installations such as Edwards Air Force Base and George Air Force Base anchor the high desert, while the emerging communities of Victorville and Barstow follow the path of the Mojave River. To the south, the rapidly growing urban corridor stretching from Pomona and Ontario to San Bernardino and Redlands is interconnected by a dense network of transit, including the Pacific Electric Railway and the Atchison Topeka and Santa Fe Railway. This survey also highlights the recreational and conservation landscape of the era, from the alpine settlements at Big Bear Lake and Lake Arrowhead to the sprawling, undeveloped reaches of Joshua Tree National Monument and the San Gorgonio Wilderness.