Loading map...

1949 Map of Alleghany

Name: 1949 Topographic Map of Alleghany
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1981
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1981

About this map

Gold mining operations define this section of the Sierra Nevada mountains, where the town of Alleghany serves as the hub for a landscape heavily scarred by extraction. The map reveals a high density of quartz and placer claims, most notably the Sixteen To One Mine, alongside dozens of inactive sites such as the Plumbago Mine and Tightner Mine. These mines are concentrated along the steep ravines of Kanaka Creek and the Middle Yuba River, following the gold-bearing gravels of ancient riverbeds.

Several former settlements, now marked as sites, speak to the fleeting nature of the region's boom periods. Locations like Minnesota Flat, Moores Flat, and Orleans Flat are recorded alongside active family holdings including Buck Ranch and Hagerty Ranch. The terrain is partitioned by prominent ridges like Pliocene Ridge and Snowtent Ridge, which dictate the difficult path of local roads and trails through the National Forest.