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1904 Map of Ventura

Name: 1904 Topographic Map of Ventura
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1910
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1910

About this map

Coastal canyons and the southern slopes of the Santa Barbara National Forest characterize this early twentieth-century coastal landscape. The survey captures Ventura at a pivotal stage of growth, showing the grid-like street development near the shoreline and the Southern Pacific rail line following the coast toward Seacliff and Punta Gorda. Large land grants and ranchos such as Ex Mission San Buenaventura and Canada De San Miguelito still dominate the rural topography, reflecting the area's transition from Spanish-era tracts to American settlement.

Inland, the Ojai area and Ojai Valley appear alongside smaller camps and retreats like Vickers Hot Springs and Matilija. The intricate network of canyons, including Coche Canyon and Fresno Canyon, illustrates a rugged interior where early roads and trails followed the natural drainages of the Ventura River. The presence of landmarks like Mirror Lake and the various passes indicates a landscape that was both an industrial corridor for the railroad and a burgeoning destination for recreation and agriculture.