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1942 Map of Branch Mtn

Name: 1942 Topographic Map of Branch Mtn
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1951
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1951

About this map

The La Panza Range and the San Rafael Mountains dominate this 1942 survey of the high country along the San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara County line. This landscape is defined by remote ranching outposts and high-elevation water sources, where family-named holdings like Joughin Ranch, Scott Ranch, and Pernasse Ranch were established near vital springs. The rugged drainage systems of the Cuyama River and Salinas River provide the primary geographical orientation for the region, carving deep canyons such as Gypsum Canyon and Brown Canyon.

A notable network of trails and unimproved roads, including the Shaw Trail, connects these isolated homesteads to landmarks like the Pine Canyon Guard Sta. The map captures a moment when the regional economy was tied strictly to the land and the limited water supplied by Iron Spr, Grizzly Spr, and Tajea Spr. The inclusion of the Mt Diablo Base and Meridian and San Bernardino Base and Meridian crossing point provides a rare surveyor's perspective on the jurisdictional architecture of California.