1959 Map of Casmalia

About this map

Vandenberg Air Force Base dominates the central coastal landscape of this late 1950s survey, a period when the facility was rapidly expanding its footprint across the San Antonio Terrace. The map illustrates a transitional era where traditional coastal ranching, evidenced by the Marshallia Ranch, met the strategic industrial needs of the Cold War. Along the Southern Pacific railroad line, small stop-points like Tangair, Narlon, and Antonio are clearly marked, tracing a transportation corridor that served both the military installation and the local economy. To the north, the Casmalia Hills rise above the town of Casmalia, where an Oil Field and the Airox Mine signify the region's extractive industry. The natural geography is defined by the shifting Sand Dunes near Purisima Point and the drainage of San Antonio Creek, which cuts through the Jesus Maria and Purisima Hills towards the coast.