California State Lands Commission Map Collection

The California State Lands Commission’s (CSLC) map record collection covers land, coasts and navigable waterways in northern, central and southern California between the years of 1850 to 2008. Since American annexation in the mid-19th century, California’s population has grown exponentially, from approximately 1.5 million to almost 40 million. The amount of people, in addition to agrarian expansion and industrial urban and suburban development, has resulted in a state that looks dramatically different than it did just 100 years ago. CSLC’s repository of historical maps provides essential information and insight into California’s historical physical features, private and public ownership, environmental changes, and geographic boundaries.

The diversity of maps that make up CSLC’s collection also show how California land and water features have changed over time. The state’s recent drought, coupled with scientific predictions for climate change, has increased the importance of maintaining historical evidence of the state’s geographic past in order to measure its current and future changes. The collection not only allows for comparisons with current land surveys but illustrates a visible representation of California’s historical landscape and offers fundamental evidence of the evolution of California’s geography.