1892 Map of Alturas

About this map

Fort Bidwell and the Warner Mountains dominate the northeastern corner of this late nineteenth-century reconnaissance of the high desert and volcanic plateaus. The landscape is defined by its dramatic seasonal hydrology, where Goose Lake and Upper Lake sit as massive basins against the steep eastern escarpments. This 1892 edition, reprinted two decades later, shows a region transitioning from an outpost frontier to a settled ranching and mining territory. Small agricultural and trade centers such as Cedarville, Eagleville, and Adin are established along the valley floors, while Old Indian Villages are noted in the more remote Ingalls Valley, preserving a record of earlier indigenous habitation sites. To the west, the Pit River Valley and Antelope Plains provide a stark contrast to the high peaks of Eagle Peak and Warren Peak, illustrating the diverse terrain of the Modoc plateau before modern irrigation and land use changes.