1942 Map of Mt. Vaca

About this map

The Vaca Mountains define the divide between Napa and Solano counties, where steep-sided canyons like Mix Canyon and Gates Canyon descend toward the fertile Vaca Valley. This 1940s tactical survey captures the transition from the high ridges of Mount Vaca and the Twin Sisters down to the valley floors, where rural life centered on Wooden Valley and Gordon Valley. In the lower elevations, the industrial and transport footprint of Fairfield and Tolenas is evident, anchored by the intersecting lines of the Southern Pacific and the Sacramento Northern railroads. Water management is a central theme of this landscape, with the Gordon Valley Dam creating Curry Lake, alongside several other reservoirs such as Lake Madigan and Suisun Reservoir that served the growing agricultural and municipal needs of the region during the early war years.