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1947 Map of Salinas

Name: 1947 Topographic Map of Salinas
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1957
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1957

About this map

Salinas and its agricultural hinterland are captured here during the post-war expansion of the late 1940s, showing the city's growth alongside industrial landmarks like the Power Plant and the local Southern Pacific rail infrastructure. The landscape is defined by a series of historic Spanish and Mexican land grants, including Nacional and La Natividad, which dictated the early pattern of ownership and settlement in Monterey County. To the west, the Fort Ord Military Reservation dominates the coastal ridges, featuring specialized training areas such as Machine Gun Flats and the Rifle Range.

Industrial and educational centers are prominent, from the Water Tower and Oil Tanks at Spreckels to the grounds of Hartnell College and Union High School. Smaller rural outposts like Confederate Corners, Old Hilltown, and Chualar provide critical touchpoints for genealogists tracing family names and ranch locations. The map detail extends to the complex drainage of the Salinas River and the winding Alisal Slough, where agricultural productivity met the rising needs of a developing urban center.