1953 Map of Shale Point

About this map

North Antelope Hills Oil Field anchors the eastern edge of this Kern County landscape, where the petroleum industry and cattle ranching define the local economy during the mid-1950s. The terrain transitions from the high elevations of the Temblor Range in the south, punctuated by isolated water sources like Napoleon Spr and Alex Cook Spr, toward the broad expanse of the Antelope Plain. Isolated ranching life is centered on the Twisselmann Ranch, while the natural drainage of Media Agua Creek and Bitterwater Creek cuts through the dry hills. A network of oil tanks and a local Quarry indicate the extraction-based character of the region. Notable geographic landmarks like Shale Point and the Shale Hills provide distinct markers for local history researchers and land use surveyors examining the transition from the Bitterwater Valley to the valley floor.