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1954 Map of Prunedale

Name: 1954 Topographic Map of Prunedale
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1966
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1966

About this map

Elkhorn Slough and the winding course of Tembladero Slough define the coastal lowlands of this Monterey County landscape in the mid-1950s. The settlement of Castroville sits near the southern edge, connected to the broader region by the Southern Pacific railroad and U.S. Highway 101. The geography is characterized by a complex series of canyons, such as Strawberry Canyon and San Miguel Canyon, that carve through the Bolsa lands.

Evidence of local land management and early infrastructure is visible through features like Hambey Dam, scattered reservoirs, and the presence of several quarries and borrow pits. Prominent land grants such as Bolsa Nueva y Moro Cojo and Bolsa de las Escorpinas appear as underlying cadastral layers, reflecting the area's transition from Spanish-era ranchos to a developing agricultural and transportation corridor. Smaller communities like Hall and family-named landmarks like Schneider Hill provide specific points of interest for local history researchers.