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1953 Map of San Jose

Name: 1953 Topographic Map of San Jose
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1959
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1959

About this map

Coyote Creek and the Guadalupe River converge toward the salt-rich tidelands of Alviso in this mid-century portrait of the Santa Clara Valley. The landscape reveals a region in transition, where sprawling orchards and ranch lands like Yerba Buena meet the expanding urban footprints of San Jose and Campbell. The footprint of the Agnew State Hospital and the busy San Jose Municipal Airport signal the area's growing institutional and infrastructure needs.

Industrial and agricultural features are prominent, from the salt evaporators bordering the Mud Slough to the Hillsdale Mine in the southern hills. Educational roots are deep, evidenced by the central San Jose State College and numerous local schools such as Pala School and Air Point School. The transportation network is anchored by the Southern Pacific and Western Pacific railroads, alongside the maturing Bayshore Highway, tracing the path of development that would soon define the Silicon Valley era.