1961 Map of Milpitas

About this map

Salt Evaporators and winding sloughs dominate the edge of the bay in this detailed landscape of the Santa Clara Valley. The map captures a period of intense transition as agricultural land gives way to suburban and industrial development. The remote settlement of Drawbridge sits isolated among the marshlands of Mud Slough and Coyote Creek, while further inland, the growing urban centers of Sunnyvale, Milpitas, and San Jose begin to merge. Modern infrastructure is prominent, including the Automobile Assembly Plant and the expansive Great America Amusement Park. Institutional history is anchored by the Agnews State Hospital complexes. Water management is a defining theme, from the Milpitas Sewage Disposal facilities to the numerous creeks like Berryessa Creek and Penitencia Creek that drain the foothills into the bay. This document preserves the footprint of a region just before it became the heart of Silicon Valley.