1932 Map of Stevens

About this map

The Kern River landscape west of Bakersfield is defined here by a sophisticated network of irrigation and industrial infrastructure as it appeared in the late 1920s and early 1930s. The Southern Pacific railroad cuts diagonally across the terrain, serving small loading points like Stevens and Strand. This era of development is marked by the heavy presence of water management systems, including the James Canal, Buena Vista Canal, and Pioneer Canal, which transformed this arid stretch of the San Joaquin Valley into productive territory.