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1942 Map of Buttonwillow

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

USGS Topo · Published 1942

About this map

Large-scale petroleum extraction and intensive agricultural irrigation define this section of the San Joaquin Valley during the early 1940s. The southern landscape is dominated by the Naval Petroleum Reserve No 1 and the Elk Hills, while the valley floor is a complex grid of namesake ranches and water management systems. Named operations like Poplar Grove Ranch, Elk Grove Ranch, and Freeborn Bros Ranch are supported by a dense network of canals including the East Side Canal and West Side Canal.

Energy infrastructure is prominent, from the Rio Bravo Oil Field to the Kilowatt settlement and the Coles Levee Oil Field. Local life centers around rail-dependent hubs like Buttonwillow and Tupman, with community institutions such as Wildwood Sch and Rio Bravo Sch serving the rural population. Notable conservation and recreation sites, such as the Zoological State Park and Elk Preserve, appear near the Tupman Weir, marking a contrast to the surrounding industrial and farming landscape.