1952 Map of Bethany

About this map

The complex hydraulic landscape of the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta is captured here at a moment of significant infrastructure development. The Old River meanders around large tracts like Victoria Island and Coney Island, where a system of levees and pump houses manages the low-lying agricultural land. The mid-century expansion of California water projects is evident in the presence of the massive Delta-Mendota Canal and the Contra Costa Canal, which cut across the older township lines near Herdlyn. Along the Southern Pacific rail line, the small settlements of Bethany and Mountain House serve as focal points for the rural community, supported by local institutions like the Mountain House Sch and Lammersville Sch. The map illustrates the convergence of three counties—Contra Costa, Alameda, and San Joaquin—amidst a network of drainage sloughs and irrigation channels that transformed this delta region.