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1903 Map of Santa Susana

Name: 1903 Topographic Map of Santa Susana
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1930
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1930

About this map

The Santa Susana Mountains dominate this 1900 survey, serving as a massive topographical barrier between the growing San Fernando Valley and the Santa Clara River basin. The Southern Pacific railroad network is the lifeblood of the region, featuring the critical Santa Susana Tunnel which connected the Simi Valley via the Somis Branch. Early settlement patterns are tied closely to these rail corridors and canyon mouths, with towns like Newhall and Saugus established at key junctions.

Evidence of California's colonial history remains visible in the expansive Ex Mission San Fernando land grant boundaries. The landscape is deeply dissected by numerous drainages such as San Francisquito Canyon and Bouquet Canyon, which provided natural conduits for travel and water through the steep terrain. This survey was conducted just as the Angeles National Forest was being formalized, preserving a view of the high country before modern suburban expansion transformed the valleys below.