1923 Map of Whittier

About this map

Whittier and its surrounding ranchos appear here as an intensive grid of orchards, oil fields, and burgeoning suburban tracts in the early 1920s. The landscape is structured by the historic boundaries of Paso De Bartolo, Santa Gertrudes, and Los Coyotes, reflecting the area's transition from vast land grants to subdivided agricultural and industrial hubs. Infrastructure like the Pacific Electric railway and the Atchison Topeka and Santa Fe (San Diego Branch) connects settlements such as Norwalk and Rivera to the regional economy. Notably, the map captures the institutional footprint of the era, including the expansive Norwalk State Hospital and the State Reform School. The dense network of named lanes, such as Anaheim Telegraph Road and Workman Mill Road, reveals the detailed transit patterns established before the mid-century highway boom.