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1921 Map of Santa Monica

Name: 1921 Topographic Map of Santa Monica
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1921
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1921

About this map

Santa Monica Mountains dominate the central landscape of this 1921 survey, bridging the gap between the developing San Fernando Valley and the coastal plains. The map illustrates a pivotal era in Southern California's expansion, where Spanish-named ranchos and land grants like Rodeo de las Aguas and Rincon de los Bueyes are giving way to planned urban centers. The massive Salt Lake Oil Fields sit just south of Colegrove, while the extensive Pacific Electric and Southern Pacific rail networks connect established hubs like Van Nuys and Lankershim to the emerging entertainment centers at Universal City.

A network of canyons, from Sepulveda Canyon to Nichols Canyon, reveals the early topography of the hills before massive modern grading. Along the southern edge, the Soldiers Home and Sawtelle anchor the region west of Beverly Hills, while the Los Angeles River winds past Griffith Park toward West Glendale. This document records a precise moment when the valley was still agricultural, defined by washes like Pacoima Wash and Tujunga Wash, yet the grid of Los Angeles was rapidly pushing westward toward the Pacific Ocean.