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1900 Map of San Luis

Name: 1900 Topographic Map of San Luis
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1900
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1900

About this map

The coastal landscapes of San Luis Obispo County at the turn of the century reveal a region transitioning between seafaring trade and the arrival of major rail lines. San Luis Obispo serves as the inland hub, connected to the maritime activity at Port Harford and Mallagh Landing by the Pacific Coast Ry. Along the rugged shoreline, Morro Bay and the iconic Morro Rock anchor the northern coast near the settlement of Cayucos.

Industry and transport dominate the interior, where the Southern Pacific RR snakes through Santa Margarita and crests the mountains at Cuesta Pass. Local resource extraction is evident at the Asphalt Mines near Edna and Maxwellton. The map preserves the boundaries of numerous land grants, such as Corral de Piedra and San Miguelito, reflecting the deep Spanish and Mexican heritage that shaped California's land tenure system long after the 1900 survey.