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1961 Map of Calaveras Reservoir

Name: 1961 Topographic Map of Calaveras Reservoir
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1974
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1974

About this map

Calaveras Reservoir dominates the high ground of the Diablo Range in this 1961 survey, showing the complex watershed management that serves the growing Santa Clara Valley. The map documents the rapid suburban expansion of San Jose and Milpitas as residential tracts begin to climb the western foothills. Within the Pueblo Lands of San Jose, a dense network of local institutions appears, including San Jose Hospital and the San Jose Country Club.

The landscape is marked by a transition from industrial activity, such as the numerous Quarry and Gravel Pit sites near Tularcitos (Higuera), to the recreational and preserved spaces of Alum Rock Park. Waterways like Upper Penitencia Creek and Berryessa Creek wind through these developing neighborhoods, while historical land grants like Canada de Pala and the Los Buellis Hills provide a glimpse into the region's earlier pastoral character before it was integrated into the city grid.