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1915 Map of Priest Valley

Name: 1915 Topographic Map of Priest Valley
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1927
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1927

About this map

New Idria and the surrounding Diablo Range foothills anchor this 1915 study of the rugged borderlands where San Benito, Monterey, and Fresno counties meet. The landscape is defined by an intensive mining economy, prominently featuring the Alpine Mine, Picacho Mine, and Gem Mine near San Benito Mtn, alongside the Monterey Coal Mine to the northwest. These industrial outposts are balanced by a network of one-room schoolhouses serving remote ranching communities, including Columbus School, Bitterwater School, and Tully School.

Transportation corridors follow the natural grain of the land, with the Southern Pacific Coast Line skirting the southwestern corner near San Lucas and San Ardo along the San Lorenzo River. In the central valleys, settlements like Priest Valley and Hernandez serve as hubs for the surrounding highlands, while the topographical detail traces significant landmarks from the peaks of Joaquin Ridge to the geological formations of The Pinnacles.