1901 Map of Carquinez

About this map

Benicia and Vallejo anchor this 1901 survey of the maritime gateway where the Carquinez Strait meets Suisun Bay. The landscape is dominated by the strategic intersection of deep-water transit and transcontinental rail, notably the Southern Pacific R. R. winding through Jameson Canyon Creek and along the shoreline. A significant military presence is evident at the U. S. Arsenal near Army Pt., while the industrial waterfronts of Martinez, Crockett, and Port Costa illustrate the era's heavy reliance on wharf-side commerce. To the north, the intricate wetlands of Grizzly Island and Joice Island are etched with tidal channels like Montezuma Slough, appearing as they did before modern reclamation. Inland, the topography rises sharply at Sulphur Springs Mt., separating the marshes from the burgeoning agricultural settlements of Fairfield and Cordelia.