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1952 Map of San Luis Obispo

Name: 1952 Topographic Map of San Luis Obispo
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1954
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1954

About this map

San Luis Obispo sits at the heart of this mid-century landscape, framed by the volcanic peaks of Bishop Pk and Cerro San Luis Obispo. The map details the academic and military foundations of the region, showing the sprawling California State Polytechnic College and the extensive Camp San Luis Obispo Military Reservation. To the north, the Southern Pacific railroad threads through the Santa Lucia Range, crossing Cuesta Pass near the historic Santa Margarita ranch lands.

Industrial activity is evidenced by several named operations, including the Pick and Shovel Mine and Trinidad Mine, tucked into the canyons of the Los Padres National Forest. Water resources are a defining feature, from the Salinas River headwaters and Santa Margarita Lake to the recreational Atascadero Lake at the town of Atascadero. Smaller settlements like Garden Farms and Cushing dot the rail line, while the coastal drainages of Chorro Creek and Perfumo Canyon Creek carve through the foothills.