1897 Map of San Luis Obispo

About this map

San Luis Obispo serves as the focal point of this late 19th-century survey, situated at the convergence of the Southern Pacific Railroad and the P. C. R. R. near the San Luis Range. The map documents the critical transit corridor through Cuesta Pass, where the rail line and a wagon road navigate the steep grade between the coastal valley and the interior drainage of the Salinas River. To the north, the burgeoning communities of Santa Margarita and Atascadero are depicted during their early development, alongside established ranching districts like Potrero de San Luis Obispo and Cañada de Los Osos.