Metsker’s map of Marin County California

Description

Iconic map of Marin County by “Metsker the Map Man,” with detailed information on township and rancho boundaries, as well as roads, trails, and railways. Coming before the construction of the Richmond-San Rafael Bridge, we see only a ferry line between the two. The map is filled with historic place names that are now largely forgotten, for example: Oakmere, Waldo, Almonte, and more.

The map tells two stories simultaneously: the post-WWII boom that took place in the Bay Area, and the rise of the automobile. The completion of the Golden Gate Bridge in 1937 was a key factor in the proliferation of cars in the county, but it was the post-war economy that made it possible for more families to own one. Our maps portrays the shifting infrastructure that met the new demand, most noticeably in the contrast between the once mighty Northwest Pacific Railroad, now just a minor line running from Tiburon to San Rafael, and the bold new California State Highway (101), traversing the entire county from north to south.

Metsker was known for making high-quality maps and this is no exception; includes standard yellow cover, this one with a silver label reading “World’s Minerals, 2417 San Pablo Ave. Oakland 12, Calif. County maps – mineralights.”