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1956 Map of Wilcox Ridge

Name: 1956 Topographic Map of Wilcox Ridge
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1957
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1957

About this map

Wilcox Ridge anchors this 1956 survey of the Diablo Range, where deep canyons and isolated livestock operations defined the landscape of western Stanislaus County. The rugged topography is etched with numerous watercourses, including the North Fork Orestimba Creek and Salado Creek. Human activity is concentrated around family holdings such as the Isom Ranch, which features a remote Landing Strip, and the Miller Ranch further south near Days Pass.

A network of Jeep Trails provides the primary access through this terrain, connecting landmarks like Mikes Peak Lookout (Aband) and passing through the Orestimba Narrows. Evidence of small-scale resource exploration appears at a solitary Shaft located in the Crow Creek drainage. The map reveals a working landscape of the mid-1950s, where seasonal cattle grazing and watershed management relied on widely scattered Reservoir and Spring locations across Jackass Flat and Gooseberry Canyon.