1953 Map of Tajiguas

About this map

Tajiguas Ranch and the coastal settlements of Tajiguas and Capitan anchor this mid-century survey of the Santa Barbara coastline. The landscape is defined by deep canyons such as Cañada del Refugio and Las Flores Canyon that cut through the Nuestra Señora Refugio and El Corral terrain toward the Santa Barbara Channel. Industrial activity is evident along the coast, where Oil Wells and an Oil Sump appear alongside the vital transportation corridor of the Southern Pacific railroad and Highway 101. This 1953 map, updated in the early 1980s, captures the shoreline's balance between resource extraction and public recreation, showing the established footprints of Refugio Beach State Park and El Capitan Beach State Park nestled at the mouths of their respective canyons.