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1952 Map of Liberty Island

Name: 1952 Topographic Map of Liberty Island
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1963
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1963

About this map

Liberty Island and the surrounding Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta terrain are defined by an intricate network of man-made levees, drainage cuts, and natural waterways. This early 1950s landscape highlights the agricultural reclamation of the Moore Tract and Hastings Tract, where localized settlements like Liberty Farms and the Liberty School served the farming community. The map reveals the critical role of water management in the region, featuring numerous pump houses and the Tide Gage monitoring the fluctuating delta currents.

Transportation throughout these low-lying lands relied heavily on unique river crossings, including a Pontoon Bridge and a Swing Bridge near Five Points, as well as a Ferry connection to Little Holland Tract. From the industrial infrastructure of the Northern railroad in the northwest corner to the Airstrip and Airway Beacon on the Hastings Tract, the map documents a transitional period of delta development before many modern changes to the sloughs and islands took place.