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1959 Map of Oakland West

Name: 1959 Topographic Map of Oakland West
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1981
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1981

About this map

Alameda Naval Air Station and the sprawling industrial docks of the Oakland Outer Harbor dominate the waterfront in this mid-century survey of the East Bay. The map illustrates a period of intense infrastructure growth, featuring the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge (Toll Bridge) connecting the mainland to Treasure Island and Yerba Buena Island. Inland, the urban grid of Oakland and Berkeley is densely packed with neighborhood institutions, including Oakland City College (Merritt Campus) and Technical High Sch.

The maritime and rail-based economy of the 1950s is evident in the complex network of the Alameda Belt Line and Southern Pacific tracks serving the piers. Recreational spaces like Lakeside Park surrounding Lake Merritt and the Berkeley Aquatic Park provide a clear contrast to the heavy industrial zones of Emeryville. The inclusion of the Nimitz Freeway and other major arteries captures the transition toward a landscape increasingly defined by high-speed automobile transit.