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1959 Map of Orcutt

Name: 1959 Topographic Map of Orcutt
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1984
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1984

About this map

Orcutt serves as the primary hub of this Central Coast landscape, where residential development and industrial resource extraction meet at the foot of the Solomon Hills. The map details the extensive operations of the Orcutt Oil Field and the Casmalia Oil Field, revealing a dense network of unimproved roads and oil infrastructure sprawling across the hillsides south of the town center. To the west and south, the Vandenberg Air Force Base boundary marks a significant shift in land use, encompassing portions of the Casmalia Hills and the northern reaches of the Purisima Hills.

Water and topography define the lower elevations, notably the San Antonio Barka Slough which drains into the San Antonio Creek. Local history is preserved in labels like Union Sch and the small settlement of Bicknell, located near Camelback Hill. The transition from the alluvial plain of Punta De La Laguna to the rugged canyons like Harris Canyon and Graciosa Canyon illustrates the complex geography that supported both ranching and the petroleum industry.