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1954 Map of Tupman

Name: 1954 Topographic Map of Tupman
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1957
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1957

About this map

Tupman sits at the edge of a landscape defined by massive petroleum extraction and systematic water management in the mid-1950s. The map illustrates a complex industrial geography where the North Coles Levee Oil Field and South Coles Levee Oil Field dominate the southern sections, supported by localized worker housing at the Western Water Co Camp. This resource-heavy environment is balanced by the Tule Elk Reserve State Park and the Naval Petroleum Reserve No 1, which occupy the rising ground of the East Elk Hills.

Water engineering is prominent through a network of canals and levees, including the Main Canal, Bypass Channel, and the Kern River. These features, along with the Goose Lake Slough in the north, suggest an era of intensive irrigation and flood control for agricultural operations like the Buena Vista Ranch. The presence of the Elk Hills School and the Mesquite Hunting Club provides a glimpse into the local community life that existed alongside these large-scale energy and water works.