Loading map...

1889 Map of San Jose

Name: 1889 Topographic Map of San Jose
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1939
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1939

About this map

The Santa Clara Valley unfolds in this 1895 survey as a landscape of Spanish land grants and nascent rail towns centered on San Jose. Large tracts like Yerba Buena and Rinconada de los Gatos define the rural stretches between established hubs. The Southern Pacific R. R. serves as the backbone of transport, with several spurs including the Almaden Branch and San Jose Branch connecting agricultural and mining outposts.

Social infrastructure is prominently marked, including the Santa Clara Co. Alms House, a regional Asylum, and the County Infirmary. To the north, the salt marshes near Alviso meet the tidal reaches of the Coyote River and Guadalupe River. The topographic detail highlights the transition from the valley floor to the Los Buelis Hills and Oak Ridge, where early developments like the Hotel at Alum Rock Canyon point toward the area's burgeoning recreational value.