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1934 Map of Coal Oil Canyon

Name: 1934 Topographic Map of Coal Oil Canyon
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1934
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1934

About this map

Industrial infrastructure and seasonal labor patterns intersect in this southern San Joaquin Valley landscape. The northern portion of the sheet is defined by agricultural and irrigation systems like the Kern Island Ditch and the Panama Migratory Sch, the latter reflecting the area's history of mobile labor communities. The central terrain is dominated by petroleum extraction and transport facilities, including the General Petroleum Corp Emigdio Pumping Sta, situated along the State Highway No 57 corridor.

To the south, the topography rises sharply into Wheeler Ridge, where the namesake Coal Oil Canyon and Pleito Creek cut through the foothills. The Pleito Ranch and the Richfield Oil Co Pumping Station sit at the base of these heights, marking the transition from the flat basin floor to the steeper Southern California ranges. This survey captures a specific moment in California's resource development, where large-scale ranching and early oil industries shared the arid landscape.