Loading map...

1914 Map of Capitola

Name: 1914 Topographic Map of Capitola
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1940
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1940

About this map

The northern arc of Monterey Bay provides a dramatic backdrop for this pre-war coastal landscape, where the Southern Pacific Railroad links the shoreline communities of Capitola, Aptos, and Watsonville. The map illustrates a complex hydraulic environment along the Santa Cruz and Monterey County line, where numerous sloughs such as Harkins Slough and Watsonville Slough weave through the Bolsa Del Pajaro. This area reflects an era of intensive land grants and agricultural development, evidenced by the large ranchos like Bolsa De San Cayetano and the scattered rural education network, including San Andres School and Beach School.

Coastal activity is centered around Port Watsonville and Camp Goodall, while the southern reaches of the map track the tidal reaches of Elkhorn Slough near the settlement of Moss. The presence of numerous small lagoons and gulches, from Valencia Lagoon to Arana Gulch, highlights the drainage patterns of the coastal terrace before modern suburban expansion transformed the landscape between the Santa Cruz mountains and the sea.