Loading map...

1921 Map of Los Banos

Name: 1921 Topographic Map of Los Banos
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1921
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1921

About this map

Los Banos serves as the focal point of this Central Valley survey, showcasing a grid of streets and buildings alongside the Southern Pacific railroad line. The landscape is defined by an intricate network of irrigation and water management, most notably the San Joaquin and Kings River Canal, which cuts through the agricultural allotments of Merced County. To the northeast, the terrain shifts into the marshes and winding watercourses of the Sanjon De Santa Rita and Mud Slough.

Rural life in the early twentieth century is visible through the placement of Center School and small stop points like Abbat and Gudwall. The map also records early transit routes such as the Santa Rita Grade and the descriptively named Swamp Road. Topographers Ballmer and Reeves, whose names appear both in the margin and as localized labels, provide a detailed look at the land before modern intensive development altered these wetlands.