Old maps of Los Angeles show how the city grew 70000% in 150 years

Breathtaking old maps of Los Angeles from 1871 to 1948 show the jaw dropping speed of development of the city over the last 150 years, narrated with an insightful history of Los Angeles.

These maps are a window in the history of Angelinos over the last century and a half. Also, they are all exquisitely hand-drawn maps in 3D bird's-eye perspective, giving you a beautiful aerial view of old Los Angeles.

There are 20 maps bringing the history of Los Angeles to life and they cover Downtown Los Angeles from 1871 to 1935, Santa Monica, Wilmington, Azusa, San Pedro, Pasadena, Pomona, Santa Barbara and Catalina Island.

They also cover important historical events of the early days, such as settlers, the electrical supply, oil fields and ranchos.

Also mapped out is the entertainment industry of the day, with a 'map to the stars' as well as all the famous studios, clubs and entertainment venues.

Here's what you'll see:

1:02 Historical Events Map 1929
2:51 Map of Los Angeles 1871
4:21 Map of Santa Monica 1877
5:52 Map of Santa Catalina 1948
8:23 Map of Wilmington 1877
9:57 Map of San Pedro 1905
11:23 Map of Los Angeles 1877
13:55 Map of Pomona 1886
15:49 Map of Azusa 1887
16:34 Map of Brooklyn Heights 1891
17:56 Map of Los Angeles 1894
21:01 Map of Santa Barbara 1898
22:52 Map of Pasadena 1903
25:22 Map of Los Angeles 1909
28:08 Oil Fields of Los Angeles 1922
29:39 Los Angeles Wonder City 1932
32:08 Edison Electrical Map 1935
35:39 Los Angeles 1894 Looking South

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[Yestervid]

1:02 Early Map of Historical Events
2:51 Map of Los Angeles 1871
4:21 Map of Santa Monica 1877
5:52 Map of Santa Catalina 1948
8:23 Map of Wilmington 1877
9:57 Map of San Pedro 1905
11:23 Map of Los Angeles 1877
13:55 Map of Pomona 1886
15:49 Map of Azusa 1887
16:34 Map of Brooklyn Heights 1891
17:56 Map of Los Angeles 1894
21:01 Map of Santa Barbara 1898
22:52 Map of Pasadena 1903
25:22 Map of Los Angeles 1909
28:08 Oil Fields of Los Angeles 1922
29:39 Los Angeles Wonder City 1932
32:08 Edison Electrical Map 1935
35:39 Los Angeles 1894 Looking South

[SurfCityBill]

I had an aunt that lived in Burbank in the early 1950s. When she heard Disney was going to build a theme park in Anaheim she thought he'd lost his mind. No one would ever go that far.

[andrewwhite]

I truly enjoyed this video. I'm a lover of History and Maps. I am also a 42 year resident of Los Angeles. When I first arrived here with my family in 1980, there were still orange groves, tomato and strawberry fields and cattle ranches spread out over the entire basin and beyond. That's all gone now. Everyone used to have an orange tree or five in their yard. You could walk from my neighborhood in Irvine, all the way to the Pacific Coast Highway and there was the Ocean, still untouched for many miles in places. You could tell it wasn't going to last, but you could still taste the spirit of the Old West. It was a place where everyone was welcome and anything was possible. It was a wonderful place to be a young person. For that, I am very grateful.

Wherever you are, remember this... Everything in this world is temporary. Treasure the moment. Take nothing for granted. We all have our challenges. Consider the possibilities. You have been blessed with an opportunity to create a masterpiece. Imagine something incredible and make your dreams come true.

We are immortal. It's okay to fail. That's how we learn to succeed. Life is a game. Enjoy it. 🔥❤️😎

[tbthomas]

Thanks for posting this. 60 years ago, every year at Christmas time, our family would drive down to Pasadena from Portland Oregon, and stay at my grand-parents house on Hill Street. We had 4 sets of Aunts & Uncles and cousins who lived down there, so plenty of fun to be had. My grandfather had a Plymouth dealership on Colorado Blvd, and we would climb up on the roof and watch the Rose Parade. Years later, I attended UCLA. All of those places were on the map. Look forward to downloading more maps!

[goldfieldgary]

I have many fond memories as a kid traveling from Phoenix to LA in the fifties and sixties, it seemed like ShangriLa with the scent of orange blossoms everywhere.

[gunny]

Thank you very much for making this. It was fascinating to say the least. I truly appreciated your most thoughtful closing comments. God bless you and all involved.

[Imtheverdant]

The announcer does not mention this but the last map shown is called the Semi Tropic Homestead Map. Whats not explained is that the term Semi Tropic was a district or a neighborhood in the North East part of the city. It was located in the SilverLake Echo Park parts of town, mostly along Glendale Blvd. In matter of fact, today there is a bar on Glendale Blnd called the Semi Tropic room.

[dansaikyo]

This was absolutely fascinating. Thank you for uploading it and putting all the work into creating this video. I agree with some of the other comments too; it was very relaxing. As a lover of both history & geography, I love this kind of content, but I also agree with everything you said in the ending narration about the significance of these maps and the development they represent on a human level.

[renko]

Fantastic video. Great narration. My only wish is that you’d circled or spotlit some of the places you mentioned because they weren’t always easy to see amidst the detail.

[misacruzader]

These maps are amazing. I wish I could get some prints of these to put up in my apartment. I grew up in Southern California and I love California history.

[BlazeDuskdreamer]

Like? I need a heart option for this entire video! The maps are beautiful but the background music and the narration/guided tour make it. I had no idea that LA housed oil fields at all let alone so many. And your closing statement? Bravo. o7 Wonderfully done!

[lindawoody]

Yes, that gun club on the map did feature Robert Stack and Clark Gable (plus Carole Lombard). My late father used to shoot skeet with all three of these Actors.

[_k]

Thank You for this video.
Although I've seen most of those maps online on my own searches, it is great having them put together with narration.

I was born in Inglewood in 1965 and raised just a few blocks from Inglewood and Los Angeles border in Westchester with LAX a mile away.
I lived in Westchester, Playa Del Rey, Marina Del Rey, Palos Verdes, San Pedro, Beverlywood, Woodland Hills, and now South Westlake District of Downtown L.A. .
I love this city and the surrounding areas. The history is so amazing.
But honestly, I would have loved to have lived here back in the late 1800s early 1900s . It must have been absolutely paradise. Rivers, woodlands, the mountains surrounding the basin all the open space. The hunting and fishing were unbelievable back then.
My grand uncle who was born here around 1905 or so was an avid outdoorsman, he hiked mount Whitney, and knew all the local mountains very well. He told me that the skies would be blacked out with the number of geese and duck flying overhead and the other wildlife like bear, deer, fox, mountain lions, turkey, bobcat, all in abundance, the rivers and streams had trout, salmon, etc... and fruit orchards as far as your eyes could see.
I really must have been an amazing place because it still is a gorgeous place if you look through the buildings and traffic and use your imagination.
I am old enough to have seen when the Valleys were still a lot of farms and orchards, even in El Segundo and Westhester and the area where Hughes Helicopter Plant, now Playa Vista, Silicon Beach, and parts of Hawthorne and most of the mid and South Bay cities all had a few old farms that were just hanging on for dear life postponing the inevitable of selling parcels or the whole farm to some developer or aerospace company or the airport itself bought up most of the bean fields and even a lot of houses and expanded the airport.

[thomastrout]

Absolutely wonderful and a valuable resource to a city's past. Having lived in Los Angeles since 1952 it is a marvel to see the past so eloquently lain out. Thank you for this.

[benjaminsinger]

What a gift. I’ve been in Southern California since 1978. We come to accept what the vast area is today as ac”given”, without much thought of the past. Your beautiful narration and the maps selected show how much thought and energy went into the area’s dramatic growth. A wonderful journey. Thank you!

[barryobrien]

This is so beautifully presented. I’m a L.A. native (from 1939) and spent the first half of my life living there. I’ve retreated to Northern California.

[sarahdawn]

Really enjoyed this video. I love pouring over old maps, recalling old landmarks and seeing how we've changed.

[scottg.g.haller]

12:46 -- Saint Vibiana's was damaged in 1994 earthquake, but the plan to tear it down was prevented. The then Archbishop felt strongly that the much larger city needed a much larger cathedral which could hold 3, 000 people. The larger Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels was built nearby, not on the same site. The buildings of Saint Vibiana's were saved and repurposed. The old church is an event space and the rectory is a restaurant.

[cuevas]

Wow, this was so awesome. I'm an Angelino born and raised. I had to share this video with my family and my friends, who I grew up with. I didn't know that my street was originally named Freeman St- found out on LA 1896 map..thanks for sharing.

[CPK]

This is one of the best videos ive seen in a long time on YT. Thank you.