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1948 Map of American House

Name: 1948 Topographic Map of American House
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1956
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1956

About this map

The rugged terrain of the Plumas National Forest is defined here by the confluence of major waterways and a fading gold-mining legacy. Situated near the junction of Plumas, Butte, and Sierra counties, the landscape is carved by the Middle Fork Feather River and the South Fork Feather River. The settlement at American House serves as a central landmark in this 1940s survey, alongside family homesteads such as Boehme Ranch and McIntosh Ranch.

Evidence of historical extraction is visible through labels for the Browns Hill Mine and the Sanborn Mine, with remnant Tailings and scattered Prospect sites indicating the area's industrial past. Elevated features like Camel Pk, which supported a Lookout, and Lexington Hill provided strategic vantage points over the complex drainages of Slate Creek and Fall River. This map captures a moment when the mountain economy balanced ranching, forestry, and the remaining traces of hard-rock mining.