1961 Map of Alturas

About this map

Alturas serves as the hub of this northeastern California landscape, where the confluence of the Pit River and its South Fork shapes the valley floor. The town's infrastructure in the early 1960s includes the Modoc Union High Sch and a Municipal Airport, while the Southern Pacific tracks provide a vital transit link through Lakeview Junc. To the south, the Modoc National Wildlife Refuge preserves the wetlands of the river basin, contrasting with the drier uplands of the Modoc National Forest. The map documents a complex water management system essential for the region's ranching, including Kelly Reservoir, Signal Reservoir, and Graves Reservoir. A significant historical marker, the Infernal Caverns Battleground Memorial Marker, identifies a site of conflict on the southern volcanic plateaus near Rocky Prairie, anchoring the landscape in its 19th-century frontier history.