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1942 Map of Millerton Lake

Name: 1942 Topographic Map of Millerton Lake
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1959
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1959

About this map

Millerton Lake and the newly constructed Friant Dam dominate the lower reaches of the San Joaquin River in this early 1940s survey. The landscape is a complex of ranching operations and mining history, with numerous homesteads like Veater Ranch and 101 Ranch dotting the foothills of the Sierra Nevada. Industrial remnants are scattered throughout the hills, including the Quartz Mine and the Fresno Banner Mine, marking the region's mineral exploitation.

Energy infrastructure is represented by the Kerckhoff Powerhouse along the river, while the local social fabric is traced through sites like the Picayune Rancheria and several rural schools, including Green Sch and Auberry Sch. The map documents a significant era of hydrological change as the valley floor began to be reshaped by large-scale water management projects, all while maintaining the traditional ranching identity found at O'Neals and Kelshaw Corners.