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1952 Map of Carpinteria

Name: 1952 Topographic Map of Carpinteria
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1961
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1961

About this map

The Santa Ynez Unit Los Padres National Forest dominates the northern half of this 1952 topographic study, where the steep canyons of the Santa Ynez Mountains descend toward the coastal shelf. This era reveals a landscape defined by the narrow corridor between the mountains and the Pacific Ocean, where the Southern Pacific railroad and U.S. 101 connect a string of shoreline communities including Summerland, Serena, and Carpinteria.

Coastal development is concentrated near Montecito and the flatlands of El Estero, while the interior remains largely inaccessible except by the winding Camino Cielo. Interesting local landmarks of the early 1950s include the Fleischmann Field polo grounds and the Juncal Pumping Sta near Jameson Lake. The presence of offshore Oil Wells and the historic Old Town district adjacent to Carpinteria Creek provides a clear view of the region's mid-century industrial and civic layout before significant late-century suburban expansion.