1949 Map of Hames Valley

About this map

San Ardo Oil Field operations dominate the landscape east of the Salinas River, signaling the mid-century industrial development of this Monterey County corridor. Originally mapped by the Army Map Service in the late 1940s, the terrain transitions from the alluvial flats of San Bernardo into the steep, deeply carved terrain of Garrissere Canyon and Mincey Canyon. The agricultural and social heart of the southern valley is anchored by Hames Valley Hall, located near the southern edge of the Hames Valley floor. The transportation network is defined by the Southern Pacific railroad and 101, which follow the river's path, while numerous windmills scattered across the ridges suggest a reliance on groundwater for the cattle and ranching operations that historically defined the area between Swain Valley and the Hames Creek drainage.