1919 Map of Orestimba

About this map

Patterson and Newman anchor this landscape where the San Joaquin Valley's western foothills meet the intensive irrigation systems of the early twentieth century. The map illustrates a transition from the elevated peaks of Orestimba Pk and deep canyons like Puerto Canyon to the highly engineered plains of the Rancho Del Puerto. This area was undergoing a radical transformation as the San Joaquin and Kings River Canal and Irrigation Company and a network of laterals, from Lateral A to Lateral J, carved the land into productive farm plots. Small rural hubs and education centers like Vanormer, Haight School, and Orestimba School are scattered along the western edge of the valley floor, while the Stimba Pumping Station and the Southern Pacific railroad line through Crows Landing signify the industrial infrastructure necessary to sustain this agricultural corridor near the San Joaquin River.