1959 Map of Caliente Mtn

About this map

The Caliente Range and the high desert of the Carrizo Plain define this mid-century survey of the rugged borderlands between San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara counties. In the late 1950s, this region was a center of heavy industry, dominated by the Russel Ranch Oil Field and the Morales Canyon Oil Field. A dedicated oil refinery and a network of gas wells and pipelines at the base of Chalk Mtn illustrate the intense petroleum extraction of the era. Settlement is sparse and primarily tied to the land, including the Washburn Ranch and Selby Ranch. Water remains a vital, rare resource in the arid terrain, marked by scattered landmarks like Black Sulphur Spring, Cottonwood Spring, and Goat Spring. The Cuyama River winds through the south, flanked by the Cuyama Valley and the vast Cuyama (Heirs of Cesario Lataillade) tract.