Map of California, 1855

California’s first legislature divided the state into twenty-seven counties: Butte, Calaveras, Colusa, Contra Costa, El Dorado, Los Angeles, Marin, Mariposa, Mendocino, Monterey, Napa, Sacramento, San Diego, San Francisco, San Joaquin, San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara, Santa Clara, Santa Cruz, Shasta, Solano, Sonoma, Sutter, Trinity, Tuolomne, Yolo, and Yuba. The rapid influx of population during the 1850s led to the addition of several more counties to the state, created by carving territory from the original counties. By 1855, California featured thirty-nine counties, the boundaries of which can be seen in this map by J.H. Colton & Co. Currently, the state is divided into fifty-eight counties. Identification Information: Ephemera Collection, California State Archives.