1954 Map of Avenal Gap

About this map

Kettleman Hills oil and gas infrastructure dominates this Central Valley landscape at the boundary of Kings and Kern counties. The map documents an industrial and agricultural frontier where the California Aqueduct carves through the terrain near Avenal Gap. The presence of a Farm Labor Camp and a Cotton Gin reflects the intensive labor and processing required by the region's mid-century agricultural economy. Geologically, the area is defined by a series of dramatic structural features including South Dome, Middle Dome, and Las Alturas. The transition from the Kettleman Plain to the Antelope Plain is marked by numerous oil wells and tanks, particularly around the settlement of Devils Den. This survey captures the massive scale of water engineering and petroleum extraction that reshaped this arid environment during the 1950s and early 1970s.