1897 Map of Tamalpais

About this map

Mt. Tamalpais anchors this coastal landscape, with its West Peak and East Peak overlooking the developing towns of Marin County during the mid-1890s. The shoreline stretches from the rugged Punta De Los Reyes down to the Golden Gate, where the Cliff House stands near the tip of San Francisco. The map reveals a complex network of transportation and early settlement, dominated by the North Pacific Coast R.R. and the San Francisco and North Pacific R.R., which connected isolated communities like Bolinas and Woodville to the regional hubs of San Rafael and Ross. The southern marshes and inlets, including Bolinas Lagoon and Tennessee Cove, remain largely undeveloped, while the inland valleys show the emerging footprints of Mill Valley and Larkspur. This survey provides a look at the peninsula's topography before the massive expansion of the Bay Area's suburban infrastructure.