Loading map...

1918 Map of Arena

Name: 1918 Topographic Map of Arena
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1942
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1942

About this map

Arena sits at the northern edge of this Merced County landscape, served by the Southern Pacific railroad and the early State Highway. The settlement pattern of the 1910s is clearly defined by a network of rural education, with the Arena School, Witmer School, Jordan School, and Robla School spaced to serve the surrounding agricultural allotments.

Water management and natural drainage dominate the southern reaches, where Bear Creek and Bean Creek meander toward the South Slough. The engineering of the Stevinson Canal cutting across the southwestern corner reflects the intensive irrigation efforts that transformed this portion of the San Joaquin Valley into a productive farming district. The topography is marked by subtle depressions and low rises, characteristic of the alluvial plains before widespread modern leveling changed the surface profile.