1919 Map of San Miguel

About this map

Salinas River valley life in the late 1910s is documented here at the intersection of Monterey and San Luis Obispo counties. The Southern Pacific railroad follows the riverbank, anchoring the settlement of San Miguel and the nearby station at McKey. The landscape transitioning into the Cholame Hills is remarkably well-developed with rural infrastructure, particularly a dense network of one-room schoolhouses such as Eagle School, Vineyard School, and Monroe School that served the scattered homesteads of Indian Valley. This 1917 survey captures the era's reliance on localized social centers before the widespread consolidation of districts. Along the eastern edge, the Imusdale Cemetery and Imusdale School mark a community hub near Cholame Creek, while the canyon-and-ridge topography is defined by dozens of named drainages like Vineyard Canyon and Portuguese Canyon.