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1917 Map of Merced

Name: 1917 Topographic Map of Merced
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1917
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1917

About this map

The city of Merced serves as a thriving agricultural and transportation hub in the San Joaquin Valley just before the 1920s. This survey reveals a landscape defined by its irrigation and rail infrastructure, featuring the Atchison Toreka and Santa Fe and the Southern Pacific railroads cutting across the terrain. Public service and education are prominently marked by the Merced County Hospital and a network of rural schools including Lakeside School, Merced Colony School, and Farmdale School.

Water management is central to the area's development, evidenced by Yosemite Lake and a complex system of waterways like Bear Creek and Duck Slough. To the north, the Bellevue Ranch and the Yosemite Valley Road point toward the increasing connectivity of the region. The map also highlights smaller outposts such as Tuttle and its Tuttle Grammar School, reflecting the dense rural settlement pattern of the early twentieth century.