1943 Map of Isabella

About this map

The Kern River and its South Fork define this 1943 landscape, showing the valley just as the Isabella Reservoir was planned for inundation. The map captures the original townsite of Isabella and nearby Kernville before the rising waters altered the topography of the Kern Valley. This era was marked by a transition from hard-rock mining to ranching and recreation, evidenced by numerous mineral claims like the Big Blue Mine and Gwynne Mine scattered across the Granite Mountains and Sequoia National Forest.