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1918 Map of Point Sur

Name: 1918 Topographic Map of Point Sur
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1918
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1918

About this map

The Santa Lucia Range meets the Pacific in this 1917 survey, capturing the Big Sur coastline before the completion of the modern highway. Coastal access at this time relied on maritime landings such as Notleys Landing and Bixby Landing, reflecting an era where the rugged Monterey coast was served by sea rather than by asphalt. The interior is defined by sprawling ranch holdings including the Corona Ranch and San Francisquito Ranch, which occupy the canyons and flats between the steep ridges of Mescal Ridge and Chemisal Ridge.

Social life in these remote coastal canyons is anchored by the Cooper School and Pfeiffer School, situated near the Little Sur River and the Big Sur River. This map details a landscape transition where the Monterey National Forest boundary meets private coastal estates. Features like Point Sur and its prominent lighthouse station stand as critical navigational landmarks for a region still largely dependent on its relationship with the Pacific Ocean.