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1903 Map of Santa Susana

Name: 1903 Topographic Map of Santa Susana
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1924
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1924

About this map

The Santa Susana Mountains dominate this early 20th-century landscape, serving as a formidable natural barrier between the expanding Simi Valley and the San Fernando Valley. The Southern Pacific railroad provides the primary connective infrastructure of the era, punctuated by engineering feats like the Santa Susana Tunnel and the San Fernando Tunnel. These subterranean routes were essential for navigating the complex topography of the region, which is deeply incised by drainages such as San Francisquito Canyon and Bouquet Canyon.

Settlement patterns follow the rail lines and canyon mouths, with established points at Saugus, Newhall, and the now-vanished Delvalle. In the south, the Ex Mission San Fernando lands transition into the valley floor, while to the north, the Santa Barbara National Forest encompasses the wilder reaches of Temescal and Oak Ridge. The map captures the late-frontier character of the area just as it began its transformation into a vital transit corridor for Southern California.