1930 Map of Canoas Creek

About this map

Kettleman Hills (North Dome) dominates this central California landscape at a pivotal moment in the region's energy history. Surveyed just two years after the 1928 discovery of oil in the area, the map records the early development of the Avenal settlement and the critical Discovery Well that triggered the local boom. The terrain is defined by the sharp ridges of the Kreyenhagen Hills and the seasonal drainages of Zapato Creek and Canoas Creek. A prominent diagonal path across the valley floor, the Coalinga and Bakersfield Road, serves as the primary artery for transportation and industry. The topography clearly shows the Polvadero Gap to the north, a natural break in the hills that shaped the movement of both water and early infrastructure. This survey captures the transition from a sparse grazing landscape to a concentrated petroleum district along the Fresno Kings county line.