1903 Map of Santa Susana

About this map

The Santa Susana Mountains and the upper reaches of the San Fernando Valley define this landscape as it was surveyed at the dawn of the twentieth century. This was a critical corridor for Southern California’s transit, as shown by the Southern Pacific railroad winding through the valley floor to reach the Santa Susana Pass Tunnel and the San Fernando Pass Tunnel. Early settlements such as Newhall, Saugus, and Delvalle are situated near the Santa Clara River, serving as hubs in a region dominated by deep canyons like San Francisquito Canyon and Bouquet Canyon. The map reveals a transition from the developing towns in the valley to the protected wilderness of the Angeles National Forest. Land divisions like the Ex Mission boundary and various named peaks, including Mission Pt and Dewitt Peak, provide essential landmarks for tracing original ranch and township lines before mid-century suburban expansion.