1962 Map of Joaquin Rocks

About this map

Joaquin Rocks towers over a landscape defined by the extraction of natural resources and large-scale ranching operations along the western edge of the San Joaquin Valley. This 1962 revision of 1950s data highlights the industrial footprint of the Coalinga Oil Field and the East Coalinga Extension Oil Field to the south, where a grid of pump jacks and storage tanks transformed the arid foothills. The area's agricultural character is recorded through numerous named property holdings, including the Giffen Cantua Ranch, Lillis Ranch, and Domengine Ranch, many of which were supported by infrastructure like the Mack Pumping Sta. The complex drainage systems of Cantua Creek and Martinez Creek cut through the Monocline Ridge, illustrating the challenging terrain that early Fresno County ranchers and oilmen navigated.