Loading map...

1961 Map of Firebaugh NE

Name: 1961 Topographic Map of Firebaugh NE
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1984
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1984

About this map

Chowchilla Canal bisects the Central Valley landscape in this 1961 survey, illustrating the managed water infrastructure of Madera Co. during a period of agricultural intensification. The map reveals a land defined by hydraulic engineering, where the natural courses of the Fresno River and Berenda Slough are integrated into a grid of section lines and irrigation works. Numerous wells and Gas Wells are scattered across the terrain, indicating the subsurface resources driving the local economy.

Evidence of recreational and logistical development appears in the form of a Gun Club and an Airstrip, while smaller natural features like Duck Pond and the seasonal path of Dry Creek persist amidst the dominant agricultural geometry. The 1984 photorevisions, shown in purple, track the evolving road network and land use patterns as the region's rural character became more structured over two decades.