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1898 Map of Mt. Diablo

Name: 1898 Topographic Map of Mt. Diablo
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1912
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1912

About this map

Mt. Diablo dominates this late-nineteenth-century landscape, serving as the anchor for the region's topography and the literal intersection of the Base Line and Meridian. The map reveals a transition between the mining-heavy canyons to the north and the agricultural valleys to the west and south. Notable coal mining operations are evidenced by the Star Mine and the cluster of settlements including Nortonville, Somersville, and Stewartville, which were served by specialized rail lines like the Pittsburg R. R. and Empire R. R.

In the southwestern reaches, the San Ramon Valley shows the early footprints of Danville and San Ramon, where the land begins to level toward the San Ramon Creek drainage. The rugged interior is marked by the expansive Morgan Territory and numerous canyons, such as Irish Canyon and Mitchell Canyon, illustrating the complex terrain that separated these early Contra Costa County communities before modern infrastructure bridged the gaps.