1947 Map of Newark

About this map

Newark and the surrounding East Bay communities of Alvarado and Decoto anchor this 1947 landscape, where industrial salt production meets fertile agricultural flats. The map documents a critical infrastructure network, including the Hetch Hetchy Aqueduct and Spring Valley Aqueduct cutting across the marshlands near San Francisco Bay. Along the shoreline, specialized facilities like the Chlorine Works, Salt Refinery, and Sugar Refinery illustrate the mid-century industrial economy, while the Southern Pacific Railroad provides the essential transport links for these goods. Inland, family-named landmarks and old landing sites such as Jarvis Landing and Mowry Landing mark the historical connection between the land and the bay. The transition from the alluvial plain of Arroyo De La Alameda to the elevations of the Coyote Hills and Red Hill provides a distinct topographic contrast in an area that would soon undergo rapid suburban transformation.