Loading map...

1944 Map of Coalinga

Name: 1944 Topographic Map of Coalinga
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1944
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1944

About this map

Oilfields and the Coalinga Oil Refinery stand as industrial anchors in this 1944 survey, illustrating the petroleum-driven economy of Fresno County during the mid-20th century. The Southern Pacific railroad connects the urban center of Coalinga to the broader San Joaquin Valley, while a network of worker settlements like Camp 7-C and Camp 25-D dot the landscape near Derrick Ave. The transition from industrial infrastructure to the foothills is marked by the Coalinga Sulphur Baths and the Claremont Sch.

West of the refinery, the terrain rises into the Alcalde Hills and Jacalitos Hills, where a distinct ranching culture is recorded. Family-named outposts such as Alcalde Ranch, Zubiri Ranch, and the Hugo Roberts Ranch are situated along the drainage of Warthan Creek and Jacalitos Creek. This map captures a unique moment where heavy oil production at the edge of the valley floor met the traditional livestock and homesteading life in the rugged canyons of the Inner Coast Ranges.