1900 Map of San Fernando

About this map

Ex Mission San Fernando lands dominate the southern portion of this landscape, where the grid of San Fernando is just beginning to take shape alongside the San Fernando Mission. This era reveals the critical role of water and transit in the development of the San Fernando Valley and Tujunga Valley, with the San Francisco and New Orleans Line carving a path through the northern canyons. The survey captures the transition from the valley floor to the high peaks of the San Gabriel Mountains and the Angeles National Forest. Along the Santa Clara River, small rail-side settlements like Lang and Humphreys serve as early markers of industrial movement. Numerous drainages such as Placerita Canyon and Escondido Canyon define the complex topography that would later become synonymous with Los Angeles' northern expansion.