1923 Map of Laguna Seca Ranch

About this map

Laguna Seca Ranch anchors this western San Joaquin Valley landscape during a period of transition in California's land use. The topography shows the dramatic rise from the flat valley floor into the steep foothills of the Diablo Range, where the drainage of Little Panoche Creek cuts a deep path through the terrain. The map captures the political boundary of the Merced and Fresno county line as it traverses this isolated ranch land. This survey provides a precise look at the 1920s irrigation and land management patterns, including the network of secondary roads and section lines that structured the cattle ranching and early agricultural efforts in this arid region before the large-scale water projects of the later 20th century.