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1952 Map of Courtland

Name: 1952 Topographic Map of Courtland
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1965
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1965

About this map

Sacramento River levees and a complex network of branching sloughs define this agricultural landscape during the mid-century. The river's winding path separates the vast Merritt Island from Randall Island and Grand Island, where the town of Courtland serves as a central hub. Smaller settlements such as Locke, Vorden, and Paintersville are tied to the water's edge and the transport infrastructure of the era.

Rail traffic was a primary driver of local commerce, evidenced by the Sacramento Northern and Southern Pacific lines crossing the Delta's fertile soils. Grounded in a 1952 remapping of earlier surveys, the map highlights essential rural infrastructure including a Tide Gage and numerous pumping houses. This intricate waterway system, featuring Steamboat Slough and Sutter Slough, reflects the heavy engineering required to maintain the islands' agricultural productivity in the Sacramento Delta.