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1937 Map of Watts

Name: 1937 Topographic Map of Watts
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1942
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1942

About this map

The Pacific Electric and Southern Pacific rail lines define the industrial and residential grid of South Los Angeles during this mid-century period. The map documents the dense urban growth expanding through Watts, Florence, and Graham, where residential blocks are punctuated by significant institutional landmarks like Pepperdine College and Jordan High Sch. The landscape reflects the regional importance of the petroleum industry, notably marked by the large General Petroleum Tank Farm near Athens.

Transitioning toward the southern edges, the grid begins to open into less densely settled areas around Willowbrook and the northern reaches of Compton. The natural course of Compton Creek provides a rare diagonal break in the otherwise rigid street system of major thoroughfares such as Century Blvd and Manchester Ave. This survey, revised just before the height of wartime production, captures the core infrastructure of the South Bay's early suburban and industrial corridors.