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1933 Map of Tupman

Name: 1933 Topographic Map of Tupman
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1933
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1933

About this map

Elk Hills and the massive Naval Petroleum Reserve No 1 anchor the landscape of this Central Valley survey, reflecting the region's intensive early-20th-century oil development. The settlement of Tupman serves as a hub for industrial workers, surrounded by specialized worker housing including the Standard Oil Co (Tupman Camp), the Pan American Petroleum Co Camp, and the Western Water Co Camp. These corporate camps underscore the era's company-town architecture and the logistical effort required to extract resources from this arid terrain.

Water management is equally prominent, as the Kern River and Buena Vista Slough are navigated by an extensive network of irrigation works like the Pioneer Canal and the Dixon and James Canal. The presence of the Mesquite Hunting Club indicates that despite the industrial and agricultural focus, pockets of the original wetland environment remained for recreation. Along the southern edge, the Taft Bakersfield Highway provides the primary connection through this productive landscape of derrick fields and managed waterways.