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1950 Map of Nelson

Name: 1950 Topographic Map of Nelson
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1950
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1950

About this map

Butte Creek and its complex network of sloughs and irrigation channels define this 1950 survey of the California Central Valley. The landscape reveals a highly engineered agricultural environment where natural features like Esquon Slough and Durham Slough coexist with the Western Canal and Odell Canal. The settlement of Nelson serves as a local hub, situated at the junction of Nelson Road and the Southern Pacific railroad line.

Transport and water management appear as the primary drivers of land use during this era. The map traces the parallel paths of the Southern Pacific and Western Pacific railroads as they cut through the northern Sacramento Valley. Notable landmarks include the large land tracts of Aguas Frias and Esquon, while the boundary between Butte County and Glenn County is clearly delineated in the southwestern quadrant.