1948 Map of Ben Hur

About this map

Ben Hur serves as the focal point of this rural landscape on the border of Mariposa and Madera counties during the late 1940s. The settlement pattern is defined by isolated educational and community hubs, including Ben Hur Sch, Oakvale Sch, and Oakgrove Sch, reflecting the decentralized ranching and farming life of the era. The terrain is marked by prominent granite outcrops and high points like Bald Rock and Knob Hill, while the southern reaches are dominated by the Chowchilla River and Green Mtn. A notable feature for local historians is the Green Mtn Lookout, which provided a strategic vantage point over the complex drainage systems of Chapman Creek and Rock Creek. The layout of Raymond Road provides the primary transit link through this undulating country, connecting the scattered homesteads and the small Cem found near the western boundary.