1923 Map of Herndon

About this map

The San Joaquin River defines the border between Fresno and Madera counties, weaving through a landscape transition from river bluffs to the precisely gridded agricultural plains of the Central Valley. In the 1920s, the small settlement of Herndon served as a vital crossing point, where the State Highway and the Southern Pacific railroad shared a corridor over the water. This survey illustrates the early 20th-century development of the region, featuring a secondary rail line by the Atchison Topeka and Santa Fe and established local centers like Barstow and Dickerson. The southern half of the map is dominated by a systematic road network, including Shields Avenue, Ashlan Avenue, and Shaw Avenue, which supported the expanding irrigation and farming operations that would eventually become the suburbs of Fresno.