1953 Map of Clayton

About this map

Mount Diablo dominates the southern landscape of this Contra Costa County survey, its summit featuring a Radio Tower and Observation Tower near the Devils Pulpit. To the north, the sprawling residential growth of Clayton and Cowell is clearly visible in the 1980 purple revisions, contrasting with the more rural character of the early 1950s. The map documents the northern edge of the Mt Diablo State Park and the neighboring State Game Refuge, which provide a natural buffer against the advancing suburban footprint. Industrial and utility infrastructure is evident in the Contra Costa Canal and the northern Military Res. Genealogists and local historians can locate the Nortonville (Site) in the east, along with schools like Clayton Valley High Sch and the Live Oak Cem, preserving the footprints of older communities within the modernizing landscape.