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1941 Map of Sierra Madre

Name: 1941 Topographic Map of Sierra Madre
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1941
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1941

About this map

San Gabriel Mountains dominate the northern horizon of this 1940s landscape, where the Angeles National Forest meets the rapidly developing valley floor. The map documents a critical period of infrastructure growth, featuring the Santa Anita Dam and Sierra Madre Dam tucked into the steep canyons of Little Santa Anita Canyon and Santa Anita Canyon. On the plains below, the horse-racing venue at Santa Anita Park and the adjacent Santa Anita County Park serve as major regional landmarks.

Transit networks define the era, with the Pacific Electric lines and the Atchison Topeka and Santa Fe railroad providing vital connections between established citrus-growing communities. Residential patterns are visible through family-named sites like Kinneloa Ranch and mountain retreats such as Henninger Flats and Orchard Camp. The map also captures local civic life at Flintridge Sch and the Woodrow Wilson School, showing the footprint of Arcadia, Sierra Madre, and Monrovia before the post-war housing boom.