1949 Map of Bradley

About this map

The confluence of the Salinas River, San Antonio River, and Nacimiento River defines this 1949 landscape at the southern edge of Monterey County. The settlement of Bradley sits along the Southern Pacific railroad line, serving as a hub for the surrounding ranchlands and agricultural valley. South of the town, the Camp Roberts Military Reservation dominates the terrain, sprawling across the boundary between Monterey and San Luis Obispo counties. This military presence, established shortly before the map's survey, transformed the local geography, encompassing land near Nacimiento Ranch and introducing features like a Rifle Range. Away from the river bottoms, the topography rises into several canyons, including Buttle Canyon and Kemp Canyon, where scattered windmills indicate the reliance on groundwater for livestock and homesteads. The Telephone Line cutting across the military reservation represents the emerging infrastructure connecting these previously isolated grazing lands and valleys like Hames Valley to the wider region.