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1956 Map of Santa Maria

Name: 1956 Topographic Map of Santa Maria
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1973
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1973

About this map

The coastal shelf of the Santa Maria Valley and the northern Channel Islands are documented in this mid-century topographic perspective. Heavily dominated by military and agricultural development, the landscape features the expanding Vandenberg AFB and the Lompoc District Disciplinary Barracks alongside the industrial presence of an oil field near Orcutt. The Southern Pacific railroad hugs the shoreline, passing through small coastal stations like Surf and Casmalia while connecting the inland hubs of Lompoc and Santa Maria.

Further east, the terrain rises into the Sierra Madre Mountains and the San Rafael Mountains within the Los Padres National Forest. The map also provides an uncommon level of detail for the offshore islands, showing the remote geography of San Miguel Island and Santa Rosa Island, including isolated landmarks like Bechers Bay and Point Bennett. Inland settlement patterns show the cultural influence of the Santa Ynez Valley, notably the town of Solvang and the grounds of La Purisima Mission State Park.