1901 Map of Karquines

About this map

The Karquines Strait acts as a deep-water arterial connecting the inland marshes of Suisun Bay to the open waters of the coast. In this turn-of-the-century landscape, industrial and military hubs like Benicia and Vallejo dominate the shoreline, with the U.S. Arsenal and the U.S. Reservation marking significant federal presence. Across the water, Martinez and Port Costa serve as vital rail-to-water transfer points, where the Southern Pacific R. R. skirts the hills. To the east, the map transitions into a vast network of sloughs and islands, including Grizzly Island and Joice Island, where small outposts like Drawbridge and Teal sit amidst the wetlands. This era shows the early urbanization of Fairfield and Suisun before modern development altered the tidal reaches of Montezuma Slough.