1897 Map of Concord

About this map

The Spanish land grant heritage of the East Bay is prominently displayed across this topographic study, with sprawling ranchos like Laguna De Los Palos Colorados and San Antonio Y Vicente Peralta defining the regional boundaries. The landscape is a network of ridges and narrow valleys, where small agricultural hubs like Lafayette and Walnut Creek are linked by the California and Nevada RR. In the southeast, the early urban footprint of Oakland and Alameda begins to take shape near Oakland Harbor, featuring now-incorporated neighborhoods such as Fruitvale and the aptly named Laundry Farm. To the north, the terrain transitions into the Ygnacio Valley, dominated by Monte Del Diablo and the settlement of Concord. This survey documents a critical period when massive ancestral land holdings were beginning to interface with the rapid expansion of the Southern Pacific RR and growing East Bay townships.