1959 Map of Zaca Creek

About this map

Rancho San Carlos de Jonata and Rancho Corral de Quati represent the enduring legacy of Spanish and Mexican land grants in this corner of Santa Barbara County. The 1950s landscape is defined by a series of narrow canyons, including Adobe Canyon and Ballard Canyon, which drain the southern slopes of the Purisima hills into the Los Alamos Valley. This era shows a transition in land use, where traditional ranching at sites like Barham Ranch and Rancho Santa Ynez exists alongside an active Oil Field and numerous scattered Oil Wells. The infrastructure of the period is concentrated along Highway 101, which follows the corridor of San Antonio Creek and Zaca Creek, passing landmarks such as the Zaca Substation. The map provides a detailed view of the complex water drainage systems of the La Laguna and La Zaca areas before further modern development altered the rural character.