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Description

San Diego After World War II -- Mission Bay Development Project and San Diego Air Park

Nice example of this late 1940s wall map of San Diego, published by Thomas Brothers, pre-dating the completion of most of the recreational and infrastructure projects that would reshape Mission Bay and showing the short-lived San Diego Air Park in Claremont.

The map captures San Diego at a time when the landscape of Mission Bay was in flux. During the 1940s and 1950s, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, along with other local and federal agencies, undertook significant projects to transform Mission Bay and the surrounding waterways in San Diego. These efforts were part of a broader initiative to develop the region's water resources for both recreation and flood control.

Initially known as "False Bay," the area was largely a tidal marshland. In the 1940s, the City of San Diego, under the direction of city planner and engineer Robert Mosher, initiated efforts to turn Mission Bay into a recreational haven. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers played a critical role in dredging the bay, reshaping it from a swampy estuary into a large aquatic park. Their work involved dredging approximately 25 million cubic yards of sand and silt to create the park's waterways, islands, and beaches. This process significantly expanded the bay's water surface area and increased its navigability. 

Some of the more notable features include: 

  • South Mission Beach Jetty is shown as under construction.
  • The road Pacific Highway to South Mission beach is shown as Proposed Bay Blvd, with a proposed Bridge connecting it to Ventura Blvd and the "Beach Amusements."
  • Vacation Isle the middle of Mission Bay is called "Tierra del Fuego" and only includes the model yacht pool.
  • Large portions of Pacific Beach and Mount Soledad are completely undeveloped, with no sign of Soledad Mountain Road.
  • La Jolla is largely undeveloped, with no sign of the future University City or the Golden Triangle.

San Diego Air Park

San Diego Air Park was a short-lived general aviation airport that opened between 1946 and 1947, in the post-World War II aviation boom. The airfield was situated just east of Mission Bay and featured a dirt runway, initially depicted in aerial views and maps starting in 1947. By 1948, it had a 2,700-foot unpaved runway, and a second crosswind runway was also shown on street maps. The airport hosted a small office and hangars, managed by E.H. Sullivan. It remained active into the early 1950s, with the last known aerial photograph taken in 1950, showing the airfield in use with its northwest-southeast runway.

By 1951, San Diego Air Park was closed, and the land was sold for redevelopment to Clair Burgener & Carlos Tavares. The airport’s former structures, including its café and office, were repurposed as temporary facilities for the Claremont Company and St. Mark's Church. Clairemont Drive was extended over the main runway, and by 1953, aerial photographs revealed that the area was being rapidly transformed into residential housing. The September 1954 San Diego Sectional Chart no longer depicted the airpark, and by the mid-1950s, the airport had been completely replaced by new streets and homes, with no trace of the original airfield remaining today.  

Condition Description
Rolled map, laid on linen, as issued.
Thomas Brothers Biography

Thomas Brothers and Their Legacy in Mapping

The Thomas Brothers, pioneering cartographers of the 20th century, carved a unique niche in the world of mapmaking with their meticulous street atlases that have since become indispensable resources for countless Americans. The trio's journey began in the bustling hub of Oakland, California, in 1915, where George Coupland Thomas and his two brothers established Thomas Bros. Maps.

Initially, their publications included detailed block maps, birds-eye views of communities, and what one might consider generalized tourist maps. Their emphasis on accuracy, granularity, and user-friendliness quickly set them apart in the growing map industry. By the late 1940s, the brothers expanded their offerings, introducing street guides initially available as pocket-sized booklets. These guides encapsulated regions across several counties in California and even extended to Washington, offering detailed street views and points of interest.

A significant historical footnote is the company's involvement in producing redlining maps for several major Californian cities like Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Sacramento for the US government-sponsored Home Owners' Loan Corporation in the 1930s. These maps, controversial in today's context, played a role in shaping urban development and housing policies of the time.

In 1940, seeking larger opportunities and driven by the company's burgeoning success, the Thomas Brothers relocated their headquarters to Los Angeles. The move coincided with the addition of pocket-sized guidebooks dedicated to California and San Francisco, complete with fold-out maps, further solidifying their dominance in the local market.

Following the death of George Coupland Thomas in 1955, the company witnessed a transition in leadership. Warren B. Wilson, the family lawyer, acquired the business. Under his guidance, Thomas Bros. Maps continued to flourish, adapting to the changing needs of the market and expanding its geographic footprint.

By the onset of the California home development boom in the 1970s, the company's reputation was unparalleled. The transition to Irvine, California, in 1980 under Wilson's directive marked a new era, with the company setting its sights on digital innovations and new markets.