Loading map...

1930 Map of Kettleman Plain

Name: 1930 Topographic Map of Kettleman Plain
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1930
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1930

About this map

Kettleman Hills dominate the topography of this survey, defining a period of early twentieth-century petroleum exploration in Kings County. The landscape is marked by industrial infrastructure including multiple Oil Wells, an Oil Prospect, and an Oil Pumping Sta, reflecting the intensive development of the Kettleman North Dome area shortly after its discovery. This industrial activity is centered within the broader Kettleman Plain, flanked by the prominent uplift of Reef Ridge to the west.

Transportation through this arid terrain relied on the intersection of the Coalinga Bakersfield Road and the Paso Robles Lemoore Road. These routes provided essential connections for workers and equipment moving between the emerging oil fields and the surrounding Central Valley. To the south, the terrain drops toward Little Tar Canyon and the opening of Mc Lure Valley, illustrating the geological transition from the hills to the valley floor.