1921 Map of Stokes Mountain

About this map

Stokes Mountain dominates this 1921 survey of the Tulare County foothills, where the abrupt transition from the San Joaquin Valley floor to the Sierra Nevada range is clearly visible. The map details a landscape of expanding agricultural utility and early infrastructure, centered on the Woodlake Valley corridor. Modern researchers can find the local center of community education at the Elda School, while the presence of the A. T. & S. F. railroad line at the southern edge of the survey illustrates the vital transportation link for this region's rural economy. The intricate topographic work by T.H.Moncure and C.A.Stonesifer captures the drainage patterns of Sand Creek and Cottonwood Creek as they emerge from the upland canyons, providing a technical look at the water resources that shaped early California land use and settlement in this portion of the county.