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1959 Map of Casmalia

Name: 1959 Topographic Map of Casmalia
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1961
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1961

About this map

Vandenberg Air Force Base dominates the coastal landscape of northwestern Santa Barbara County in this late 1950s survey, illustrating the transformation of ranching lands into a strategic military installation. The Southern Pacific railroad cuts through the center of the sheet, connecting several small stops and settlements including Casmalia, Devon, Antonio, and Narlon. The terrain is characterized by the massive Sand Dunes and the San Antonio Terrace, which rise above the Pacific Ocean near Purisima Point.

Evidence of the area's industrial and agricultural history is seen in the Casmalia Oil Field to the northeast and the Marshallia Ranch located within the military reservation. Water management is noted along San Antonio Creek, where a Levee and Gaging Sta are marked. The map provides a detailed view of the transition from the rugged Purisima Hills to the flat expanse of Burton Mesa during a period of rapid Cold War development.