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1950 Map of Taft

Name: 1950 Topographic Map of Taft
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1976
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1976

About this map

Naval Petroleum Reserve No 1 and Naval Petroleum Reserve No 2 dominate the landscape of the Elk Hills, where an intensive network of oil infrastructure defines the local economy. The 1950s data, updated with 1970s revisions, shows the development of Taft alongside its satellite communities of Ford City, Taft Heights, and South Taft. This area is characterized by numerous company outposts, including Standard Oil Camp 11-C and the Honolulu Oil Main Camp, reflecting a period when industrial workforce housing was integrated directly into the oil fields.

Transportation and utility lines, such as the Standard Oil Tank Farm and various landing strips like Franklin Field, suggest a highly specialized landscape designed for extraction and logistics. Local civic life is anchored by institutions like the Taft Un and HS and the Petroleum Club, while the presence of the Calif Dept of Natural Resources indicates the state's oversight of the productive Oil Wells peppered across Midway Valley and Spellacy Hill.