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1950 Map of Seal Beach

Name: 1950 Topographic Map of Seal Beach
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1950
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1950

About this map

Pacific Electric railway lines cut a diagonal path across this coastal landscape just after the war, connecting the beach communities of Seal Beach and Sunset Beach to the interior. The shoreline is defined by extensive wetlands and tidal marshes, including Anaheim Bay and Bolsa Bay, which remained largely undeveloped for recreation during this era. Instead, the area supported specialized land uses like the Naval Reservation and numerous private sporting organizations such as the Cazzadores Gun Club and Lomita Gun Club.

Further inland, the transition from agricultural tracts like Las Bolsas to industrial and aviation use is evident. The East Long Beach Airport and the Allied Trades Institute stand near the burgeoning settlement of Wintersburg, while the southeastern corner is dominated by active Oil Wells and sumps. This period shows the region just before the post-war housing boom fundamentally reshaped the Orange County coast.