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1953 Map of Ceres

Name: 1953 Topographic Map of Ceres
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1954
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1954

About this map

The Tuolumne River defines the northern reaches of this mid-century Stanislaus County landscape, where the growing community of Ceres is bisected by the Southern Pacific railroad. The map reflects a highly organized agricultural grid, sustained by irrigation infrastructure like the Ceres Main Canal and Main Canal. Education is central to the area's development, evidenced by the distribution of campuses including Union High School, Caswell School, and the Faith Home School.

Infrastructure and industry appear alongside residential growth, with the Modesto Municipal Airport and a local Drive-in Theatre serving the outskirts of Modesto. To the southeast, the small settlement of Keyes sits along the rail line, surrounded by a network of rural routes such as Grayson Road and Whitmore Avenue. This survey illustrates the transition from a purely river-focused economy to one driven by rail corridors and an expanding system of numbered laterals.