1951 McCarty Pictorial Map of Sonoma County, California.

A charming pictorial map of Sonoma County, California, drawn by Lea McCarty around 1951 for the Sonoma County Board of Supervisors and a consortium of local chambers of commerce. It covers multiple episodes from the county's history while discussing its present character and economic potential, especially with regard to agriculture.

A Closer Look

The view offers a slice of California's history and culture, from Native Americans to mid-20th century Americana. A monument in the city of Sonoma marks the site of the Bear Flag Revolt, an 1846 revolt that coincided with the opening phase of the Mexican-American War (1846 - 1848), briefly created an independent republic, cleared the path for California to join the United States of America, and gave California the flag it still uses today. A figure in Russian dress holding a Russian imperial flag marks the site of Fort Ross, a Russian trading post on the California coast. Other figures throughout represent elements of the county's history, culture, and economy, which was mostly agricultural at this time (including viticulture). The county line is traced with a barbed wire fence, reflecting the presumed attitude of Sonomans toward their neighbors. As with most pictorial maps or cartographs of this era, attempts at humor reinforce contemporary racial stereotypes, such as the sleeping Indian at the Digger Reservation.

Statistics at bottom-left provide information on the county's population, land area, value of lands, climate, infrastructure, and economy. Additional information on the recto discusses highway transportation to the county, recreational activities, and the seven flags that have flown over the county. The verso includes additional promotional text and imagry, praising the county's suitability for living, recreation, and business.

Publication History and Census

This view was drawn by Lea McCarty for the Sonoma County Board of Supervisors and the Associated Chambers of Commerce of Sonoma County. It is undated, but the statistics at the bottom left include land value figures from 1951, suggesting that this was published that year or soon afterward. The only institutional holding we have been able to identify is at the University of California Berkeley.