1943 Map of Santa Rosa Island South

About this map

Johnsons Lee sits on the southern shoreline of Santa Rosa Island, providing a rare named anchorage along this deeply incised coastal landscape. Mapped by Fairchild Aerial Surveys, Inc. for the Army Map Service during the Second World War, the topography is defined by sharp, parallel drainages like Jolla Vieja Canyon, Wreck Canyon, and San Augustin Canyon that cut through the high interior ridges toward the Pacific Ocean. This 1943 survey captures the island primarily as a land of survey markers and topographic extremes, including named peaks such as Soledad, Barton 2, and Grouse 2. The lack of inland development at this date reflects the island's isolation, with the coastal landmarks of South Point and Ford Point serving as the primary navigational aids for the maritime traffic of the Santa Barbara Channel.