1957 Map of San Benito

About this map

Pinnacles National Monument anchors the southern portion of this landscape, where the jagged volcanic terrain meets the San Benito River valley. The map documents a predominantly ranching economy during the mid-20th century, with numerous named family holdings including McCreery Ranch, Elkhorn Ranch, and Melendy Ranch scattered along the Tres Pinos Creek and its many tributary canyons. This network of ranches supported a series of rural education centers, including Bear Valley School and the Cottonwood School, the latter already noted as abandoned by the late 1950s.