1948 Map of Point Arguello

About this map

Arguello sits along a treacherous stretch of the California coast, where the Southern Pacific railroad hugs the narrow shelf between the bluffs and the Pacific Ocean. This post-war survey, compiled from wartime 1942 records and 1946 aerial photography, reveals a landscape dominated by strategic coastal defense and the rugged geometry of the Santa Ynez Mountains meeting the sea. The map details the proximity of the Lompoc Mil Res (Approx) and the Punta De La Concepcion Mil Res (Approx), reflecting the military importance of this promontory during the 1940s. Significant coastal landmarks like Pt Arguello and Pt Pedernales are charted alongside the steep drainage of Honda Canyon, providing a precise record of the topography and sounding depths before later 20th-century developments altered the region's accessibility.