Sometimes it’s easy to forget just how much has changed in Southern California over the years. But thanks to several organizations who have made it their mission to collect a vast digital archive of SoCal, we can look back in time to see exactly how the Golden State once looked long before any of us called this place home. Take a look at these incredible images that represent some of the oldest photos of SoCal we can find.

1. Los Angeles, 1912. College students from USC surveying the area in downtown Los Angeles on Fourth Street.
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2. San Bernardino, 1905. A view of the courthouse along a main street lined with shops and carriages.
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3. Irvine, 1920s. A traffic jam of cars line up in Irvine. Looks like a pretty typical SoCal commute.
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4. Santa Ana, 1887. Southern Pacific Depot packed with horse-drawn carriages in every direction.
flickr/orange county archives
5. San Diego, 1903. A bustling street in San Diego on Fifth and F Street in downtown. A streetcar heads north to 31st and National Avenue.
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6. Calico, 1883. The main street in the mining town of Calico located in San Bernardino County.
flickr/orange county archives

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7. Catalina Island, 1897-1905. Avalon harbor as seen from Santa Catalina Island with a scatter of trees and white tents.
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8. Los Angeles, 1918. The P line trolley at First Street as it crosses Alameda.
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9. Redlands, 1900. A horse-drawn carriage looks out at the valley below along Smiley Heights.
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10. Garden Grove, 1916. Two young kids staring out at the damage from the flood of 1916.
flickr/orange county archives
11. Catalina Island, 1905. A busy street filled with families strolling along past restaurants, hotels and local shops.
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12. Ontario, 1900-1910. The beautiful citrus groves of Ontario as they looked over one hundred years ago.
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13. San Juan Capistrano, 1900. An abandoned looking courtyard at the Mission San Juan Capistrano with dead brush and sparse grass.
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Aren’t those photos incredible?! Can you believe how much has changed?

It’s hard not to look at these pictures without wanting to see more shots of SoCal in black and white. If your curiosity has been awakened, just head over here to take a look at some shots of Southern California that were taken during the Great Depression.

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