Loading map...

1959 Map of Point Sal

Name: 1959 Topographic Map of Point Sal
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1961
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1961

About this map

Guadalupe serves as the primary hub in this late 1950s coastal survey, where the Santa Maria Valley meets the rugged dunes of the Pacific Ocean. The landscape is a complex patchwork of agricultural ranching and petroleum extraction, evidenced by the Guadalupe Oil Field and numerous Oil Wells scattered across the northern section. Industrial footprints are prominent at Betteravia, where rail sidings and Oil Sumps suggest a heavy reliance on the Southern Pacific railroad for transporting the region's diverse resources.

Southward, the terrain transitions into the Casmalia Hills, characterized by isolated settlements like Casmalia and Shuman. The coastal edge remains largely undeveloped, preserved in part by the Point Sal Beach State Park and the expansive Camp Cooke Military Reservation. From the Bonita School in the east to the Purisima Point headlands, the map documents a transition period where traditional ranching at sites like Marshallia Ranch and Corralitos Ranch coexisted with mid-century industrial and military expansions.