1953 Map of Pyramid Hills

About this map

The Devils Den Oil Field anchor the southeastern portion of this landscape, illustrating the industrial character of the Diablo Range foothills during the mid-20th century. Scattered across the Pyramid Hills and the adjacent Kettleman Plain, a dense network of Oil Wells and a prominent Pipeline trace the region's energy development. This 1953 survey, with revisions into the early 1970s, captures the transition of the land from large-scale ranching, evidenced by Orchard Ranch, to a site of modern infrastructure like the Pyramid Hills Microwave Relay Sta. The terrain is defined by dramatic geological breaks such as Deadman Gap and Dagany Gap, which serve as natural corridors between Sunflower Valley and the plains. Water management and transport are central to the map's details, from the winding path of Avenal Creek to the industrial utility of the Cottonwood Pumping Sta.