1962 Map of Fresno

About this map

The San Joaquin Valley meets the high peaks of the Sierra Nevada in this detailed overview of central California. Highlighting the expansion of the Central Valley's agricultural heartland, the map reveals an extensive network of irrigation canals like the Gould Canal and Central Canal, which supported the growing communities of Fresno, Visalia, and Hanford. This era marks the prominence of the Lemoore Naval Air Station and the established campus of Fresno State College. To the east, the landscape rises dramatically through the Sierra National Forest to the summits of Mt Whitney and Mt Williamson. The mapping of the Tulare Lake Bed and various reservoirs like Pine Flat Lake and Wishon Reservoir documents the mid-century water management efforts that fundamentally reshaped this region's hydrology and land use.