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1943 Map of Ortigalita Peak

Name: 1943 Topographic Map of Ortigalita Peak
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1943
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1943

About this map

The boundary between Merced Co and San Benito Co bisects a landscape defined by cattle ranching and early irrigation infrastructure during the mid-20th century. Named family holdings like Arburua Ranch and Gaston Bide Ranch are scattered across the foothills of the Panoche De San Juan, while the Little Panoche Valley to the south reveals a network of seasonal drainages including Panoche Creek and Little Panoche Creek.

Irrigation and industry are evident in the northern flats, where the San Joaquin and Kings River Canal and Outside Canal cut through the terrain. The presence of the Oil Pumping Sta and various rural institutions, such as the Charleston Sch and Santa Cruz Gun Club, reflects a period when this part of the Central Valley was transitioning into a more managed agricultural and industrial landscape, balanced by the high, wild country surrounding Ortigalita Peak.