1934 Map of Torrance

About this map

Industrial activity and burgeoning coastal communities define this part of the South Bay in the mid-1930s. The grid of Torrance stands as a hub for heavy industry, anchored by the Pacific Electric Car Shops, the Columbia Steel Corporation, and the Union Tool Co. Further south, the General Petroleum Tank Farm and Union Oil Tank Farm suggest the era's regional reliance on oil production and storage. Along the coastline of Santa Monica Bay, the three distinct beach cities — Manhattan Beach, Hermosa Beach, and Redondo Beach — show significant residential development. Educational hubs like the Manhattan Beach School and Grant School appear alongside small interior settlements like El Nido and Lawndale, while the Pacific Electric lines and the Atchison Topeka and Santa Fe railroad provide the vital transit links connecting these coastal outposts to the inland basins.