1917 Map of Newman

About this map

Newman stands as the primary rail hub of this Central Valley landscape during the early twentieth century, situated along the Southern Pacific and San Francisco and New Orleans Line. The terrain transition is sharp, moving from the foothills of the Coast Ranges at Orestimba and Poverty Flat in the west down to the intensive irrigation network of the valley floor. Evidence of the region’s developing agricultural infrastructure is found in the Kings River and San Joaquin Irrigation Company Canal and the Stimba Pumping Station. Local social foundations are well-marked for genealogists, including the Orestimba School and Canal School, along with a rural Cem located north of town. The boundary between Stanislaus and Merced Counties cuts diagonally through the southern fields near the settlement of Gustine.