1918 Map of Planada

About this map

Planada sits at the heart of this Central Valley landscape, its grid oriented toward the steel of the Atchison Topeka and Santa Fe railroad line. Surveyed in 1915, the map captures a period of early agricultural development where water management and transport dictated the settlement pattern. The terrain is defined by a dense network of drainage, where Black Rascal Creek, Burns Creek, and Bear Creek emerge from the eastern foothills to cross the plain toward Duck Slough. Local social infrastructure is represented by the isolated Cunningham School, serving the outlying farmsteads between Miles Creek and Owens Creek. The primary transit corridor of the Merced Road provides a glimpse into the early highway system connecting these valley outposts. Small hubs like Burchell emphasize the rail-dependent economy of the era, where every stop was a vital link for shipping the region's agricultural output.