1954 Map of Los Viejos

About this map

Los Viejos Dome and the jagged topography of Las Colinas de los Caballetes dominate this mid-century portrait of Kings County. The landscape reflects a transition from the industrial infrastructure of the oil fields at Kettleman Station to the low, dry expanse of the Tulare Lake Bed to the east. Numerous arroyos, including Arroyo Robador and Arroyo del Pino, cut through the ridges of the North Dome, revealing a terrain defined by geological exploration and water management. Small outposts such as Los Medanos and El Bulto appear alongside various pipelines and gravel pits, marking the human footprint on these hills. The map captures a moment before modern irrigation and development fully transformed the edges of the lake bed, shown here punctuated by La Rambla Canal and the gridded survey lines of Utica Avenue.