1932 Map of Reynolds Ranch

About this map

Lost Hills Oil Field and its surrounding worker settlements dominate the landscape in this 1932 topographic study of the southern San Joaquin Valley. As petroleum exploration intensified during the early 1930s, dedicated industrial enclaves like Associated Oil Co Camp and Universal Consolidated Oil Co Camp were established to support the workforce. These company camps sit at the base of the Lost Hills ridge, where the terrain rises sharply from the broad, flat expanse of the Antelope Plain. To the east, the landscape transitions into the agricultural and riparian environment of the Goose Lake Canal. Long-standing pastoral interests are represented by the Reynolds Ranch and Gilbert Ranch, providing a clear record of the dual economy between traditional ranching and the booming oil industry during this era of California's development.