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1954 Map of Stevens

Name: 1954 Topographic Map of Stevens
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1955
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1955

About this map

The Kern River meanders through a landscape defined by California's mid-century petroleum boom, where sprawling oil fields and complex industrial infrastructure sit alongside irrigated agriculture. This 1950s survey documents a dense network of pipelines, oil sumps, and tank farms, including the Ten Section Oil Field and the Strand Oil Field. Industrial operations are anchored by the Ten Section Refinery and the Rio Bravo Pumping Sta, reflecting the intensive resource extraction of the era.

Transportation and settlement patterns follow the industrial needs of the region, with the Southern Pacific railroad cutting diagonally across the terrain toward the community of Stevens. To the south, the Canfield Ranch and the Buena Vista Sch serve the local population near the Canfield Ranch Oil Field. The map also captures the managed hydrology of the San Joaquin Valley, from the seasonal Goose Lake Slough to the prominent Pioneer Levee and various irrigation canals.