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1917 Map of San Juan Bautista

Name: 1917 Topographic Map of San Juan Bautista
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1925
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1925

About this map

Mission San Juan Bautista anchors this survey of the valley floor and surrounding coastal ranges during the early twentieth century. The landscape is defined by its deep Spanish and Mexican heritage, evidenced by the vast land grants like Salsipuedes, Los Vergeles, and La Natividad that still structured local geography decades after their inception. The Southern Pacific railroad follows the Pajaro River through the Pajaro Gap, a critical transit corridor connecting the coastal plains near Watsonville to the interior valleys.

Agricultural and industrial development is visible at the Sargent Oil Fields and the Cement Works near the mission. Genealogists can find family-named landmarks such as the Patrick Breen property and a network of rural schools including Elkhorn School and Prunedale School. From the tidal reaches of Elkhorn Slough to the peaks of the Gabilan Range, the map documents a transition from old pastoral ranchos to a modern rail-and-road economy.