1942 Map of Branch Mountain

About this map

The Cuyama River carves a deep path through the interior of the Central Coast, marking the jagged boundary between San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara counties. This 1942 edition, based on surveys from 1919 and 1937, details a high-elevation landscape defined by the La Panza Range and the San Rafael Mountains. Remote ranching outposts such as Avenales Ranch, Buckhorn Ranch, and Joughin Ranch are situated along the canyons, highlighting the area's history of isolated cattle operations and land usage before modern accessibility. Notable landmarks like the Pine Canyon Guard Sta and the intersection of the Mt Diablo and San Bernardino base and meridian lines provide essential reference points for land surveyors and historians tracing the development of public land records in California.