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C.L. Wright's oil map of northern San Luis Obispo and southern Monterey Counties



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    [San Luis Obispo. County Courthouse on Monterey Street.]

    Visual Materials

    This collection contains 430 albumen photographs by photographer Carleton E. Watkins that chiefly depict buildings, points of interest, and locales in Northern and Southern California in the 1870s and 1880s, as well as 223 card photographs by photographer Alfred A. Hart documenting the construction of the western half of the transcontinental railroad by the Central Pacific Railroad (CPRR) in the 1860s, which were later published by Watkins under his own imprint. Images by Watkins depict locations in Arizona and California including: Lake Tahoe, Los Angeles, the Mammoth Tree Grove, Paso Robles, San Bernardino, San Diego, San Gabriel, San Luis Obispo, San Pedro, Santa Monica, Soda Springs, Wilmington, and Yosemite, as well as views related to the Southern Pacific Railroad and of the Colorado River. There are a few images of Native Americans in Arizona and California, and several images related to trains and railroads. The photographs have been removed from the original album, which is a large leather album with brass bindings (Box 10). There are some handwritten identifications in the album pages, most likely written after if was received by the Library.

    photCL 74

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    Lovewell's map of the San Juan Basin oil fields

    Rare Books

    The north-west corner of New Mexico centering around Farmington with geological formations indicated in color. Primarily for oil and gas fields. Submaps: United States with San Juan Basin marked; cross-sectional through oil field. MS note: Key map showing position of properties. Color key for formations. Prime meridian: GM. Relief: contour lines. Graphic Scale: Miles. Projection: Cylindrical. Printing Process: Lithography. Verso Text: MS note: 436175.

    436175

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    Map of the County of San Luis Obispo, California (April 1890)

    Visual Materials

    A collection of photographs and maps compiled by American geologist and petroleum engineer Ralph Arnold (1875-1961), documenting his pioneering work in oil and mineral exploration, chiefly in the Western United States, Mexico and Venezuela, from 1900 to 1954. The collection centers on 64 photograph albums that span 50 years of Arnold's life and work. Photographs are accompanied by Arnold's typed captions identifying geological features; oil and mining activities; technical data; and dates and locations, i.e. often an oil or mining "district" or "field," such as "Sunset Field" (California). Subject matter includes geological and topographical features such as rock formations, faults and schisms, mountain structure, geothermal activity, and open land with potential drilling or mining spots. Earthquake faults are seen and described in many of Arnold's California investigations. There are also views of small and large-scale oil operations (by individuals and by organized companies); details of oil flow and reservoirs; asphalt; drilling equipment; workers and fields of oil wells. Arnold's work took him all over the Western United States, particularly California oil fields, but also Texas, Wyoming, Arizona, Alaska and other states. From 1911-1916 he was primarily in South America, and in the 1920s-1940s, mostly in the U.S., Canada and Mexico. Mining operations are the focus of some albums, showing investigations for tin, gold and other minerals; mines and ore processing, all with detailed descriptions. Arnold also often photographed people: colleagues and business associates, oil lease owners on their properties; workers (particularly Black and Asian workers in Venezuela); and friends and family. Personal photographs are throughout the album, such as of his wife, Winninette, and their two daughters; Stokes family members (Winninette's family) in South Pasadena; and alumni of Pasadena High School and Stanford University. Arnold was an avid gardener and the albums contain detail views of cactus and tropical plants, and scenes of Arnold collecting wild orchids in Trinidad, Venezuela and Mexico. The maps date from 1880-1948 and include U.S.G.S. and geological maps, California oil fields and well locations; layouts of mines, and various tract maps showing oil company-owned land.

    photCL 311

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    California - Midway-Sunset Oil Field (Kern and San Luis Obispo counties)

    Visual Materials

    A collection of photographs and maps compiled by American geologist and petroleum engineer Ralph Arnold (1875-1961), documenting his pioneering work in oil and mineral exploration, chiefly in the Western United States, Mexico and Venezuela, from 1900 to 1954. The collection centers on 64 photograph albums that span 50 years of Arnold's life and work. Photographs are accompanied by Arnold's typed captions identifying geological features; oil and mining activities; technical data; and dates and locations, i.e. often an oil or mining "district" or "field," such as "Sunset Field" (California). Subject matter includes geological and topographical features such as rock formations, faults and schisms, mountain structure, geothermal activity, and open land with potential drilling or mining spots. Earthquake faults are seen and described in many of Arnold's California investigations. There are also views of small and large-scale oil operations (by individuals and by organized companies); details of oil flow and reservoirs; asphalt; drilling equipment; workers and fields of oil wells. Arnold's work took him all over the Western United States, particularly California oil fields, but also Texas, Wyoming, Arizona, Alaska and other states. From 1911-1916 he was primarily in South America, and in the 1920s-1940s, mostly in the U.S., Canada and Mexico. Mining operations are the focus of some albums, showing investigations for tin, gold and other minerals; mines and ore processing, all with detailed descriptions. Arnold also often photographed people: colleagues and business associates, oil lease owners on their properties; workers (particularly Black and Asian workers in Venezuela); and friends and family. Personal photographs are throughout the album, such as of his wife, Winninette, and their two daughters; Stokes family members (Winninette's family) in South Pasadena; and alumni of Pasadena High School and Stanford University. Arnold was an avid gardener and the albums contain detail views of cactus and tropical plants, and scenes of Arnold collecting wild orchids in Trinidad, Venezuela and Mexico. The maps date from 1880-1948 and include U.S.G.S. and geological maps, California oil fields and well locations; layouts of mines, and various tract maps showing oil company-owned land.

    photCL 311

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    California -- San Luis Obispo County -- Paso Robles district

    Manuscripts

    The Clarence E. Van Gundy papers contain material related to his education, but consist primarily of material related to mining and his career in the petroleum industry from 1903-1985. Series 1: Education papers consists of Van Gundy's class notes and assignments, while a graduate student at the University of California, Berkeley in the 1930s. Included are notebooks, notes, manuscripts, photographs, and specimen samples related to his doctoral research in the Grand Canyon. This series also includes scientific papers produced from his research related to faulting in the eastern part of the Grand Canyon. Series 2: Mining papers consists of analyses of various oil fields and individual wells scattered throughout California; also included are core report samples, expenses, memorandums, technical drawings, logging reports, and a plethora of maps, many of them manuscripts or heavily annotated. The mining papers are arranged in the following manner: state - county or valley - area, district, or field (if available). Material in the two sub-series may be related, for example material in subseries 1 may reference memorandums that investigate heavy minerals in the San Joaquin Valley in subseries 2. Although the papers are heavily focused on California, there is also material related to other states.

    mssVanGundy

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    Map of San Diego County California issued by the State Mining Bureau Ferry Building San Francisco

    Rare Books

    Mining locations located by red numerals. We do not have key to those numbers. Julian District is shown on submap because of the number of locations. Note the number of oil companies in the Coachilla Valley, presumably all dry holes. Submap: Julian District. MS note: 327363. Prime meridian: GM. Relief: no. Graphic Scale: Miles. Projection: Cylindrical. Printing Process: Lithography. Verso Text: MS notes: San Diego Co. (Mining Map) 1902 $7.50 $175.

    327363