1948 Map of Santa Maria

About this map

Camp Cooke Military Reservation dominates the coastal terrace of the central California coast, established during the Second World War as a sprawling training facility. This survey details the landscape just after the war, showing the intensive infrastructure of oil fields and oil tanks concentrated near Orcutt and Bicknell. The Southern Pacific railroad follows the coastline, passing through small coastal stations like Surf and Sudden before rounding Point Conception. Inland, the agrarian and ranching character of the Santa Ynez Valley is evident through settlements like Solvang, Los Olivos, and Ballard. The presence of small rural institutions such as Honda School and San Julian School suggests a dispersed population still tied to the land. The map also encompasses the northern Channel Islands, including San Miguel Island and Santa Rosa Island, and the steep, undeveloped slopes of the Los Padres National Forest in the San Rafael Mountains.