1940 Map of Stratford

About this map

Kings River irrigation and the reclaimed bed of Tulare Lake define the agricultural landscape of this Kings County region during the late 1930s. The map illustrates a complex network of water management, including the Empire Canal, Outside Canal, and Paso Robles Canal, which transformed this arid basin into a productive farming corridor. Small rural schoolhouses like Empire Sch and Jacobs Sch dot the grid of avenues, serving the dispersed labor force of the Blakeley Ranch and nearby settlements. At the southern edge, Kettleman City sits at the foot of the Kettleman Hills, where a Compressor Station indicates the importance of the local petroleum industry. The rail connection via the Southern Pacific at Westhaven Sta highlights the era's reliance on steel rails to move the valley's harvest to distant markets.