1948 Map of Winton

About this map

The Merced River winds through this Central Valley landscape, carving a wide floodplain marked by the Ingalsbe Slough and Dana Slough. This 1948 revision of earlier 1914 surveys documents a transition from cattle ranching to more intensive irrigation agriculture, evidenced by the sprawling network of waterworks like the Escaladian Canal and Ward Canal. The settlement of Winton serves as a hub for the region, positioned along the Atchison Topeka and Santa Fe railroad, where industrial sites like Castle Field and the U S Military Reservation indicate the area's strategic significance during the mid-century era. Family-named properties such as Giesbrecht Ranch, Langdon Ranch, and Rancho de Cabodon are interspersed among rural schools like Arundel Sch and Washington Sch, providing a detailed look at the social and economic geography of Merced County at this time.