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1952 Map of Williams

Name: 1952 Topographic Map of Williams
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1953
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1953

About this map

Williams serves as the focal point of this mid-century agricultural landscape, situated at the intersection of the Southern Pacific railroad and a developing highway network. The town's civic core is clearly defined by its Union High School, City Hall, and Post Office, while its social and commercial outskirts feature a Drive-in Theatre and a nearby Landing Strip. The surrounding terrain of Colusa Basin and Glenn Valley is shaped by an extensive water management system designed for industrial-scale farming, including the Glenn-Colusa Canal and numerous siphons and levees.

Waterways like Freshwater Creek, Salt Creek, and Lurline Creek weave through the valley, supporting localized settlements at Cortena and Delphos. The map documents a period when private recreation, such as the Kuhl Gun Club, coexisted with the infrastructure of the central valley's agricultural economy. This 1952 record highlights the transition from early 20th-century rail reliance toward a modern, irrigation-dependent landscape.