1919 Map of La Grange

About this map

La Grange Dam and the winding Tuolumne River anchor this preliminary 1915 survey of the California gold country foothills. This map illustrates the early hydraulic engineering critical to the region's agricultural development, featuring the Modesto Ditch and Turlock Ditch as they draw from the river to feed the Central Valley. The settlement of La Grange sits at the center of a landscape defined by rugged drainages such as Gasburg Gulch, Mill Gulch, and Snake Ravine. To the north, the Tuolumne Co - Stanislaus Co boundary line cuts through the terrain near Dry Creek. Local life is marked by the presence of the Live Oak School and the prominent Indian Hill, while water bodies like Dawson Lake and McDonald Creek illustrate the natural drainage system before the more extensive modern reservoir system was fully realized.