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1956 Map of Aurora

Name: 1956 Topographic Map of Aurora
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1957
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1957

About this map

Aurora's legacy as a major mid-19th-century mining center is clearly visible in this mid-1950s survey of the Nevada-California borderlands. While labeled as historic ruins, the settlement remains a focal point alongside Del Monte and the Cresco Mine, marking a landscape defined by gold and silver extraction. The presence of a Cem and various industrial features like the Tailings Pond near Gregory Flats provides a tangible look at the scale of human activity that once occurred within the high desert basin.

Remote outposts such as Ninemile Ranch, Fletcher, and China Camp are connected by a network of unimproved roads and a Jeep Trail, illustrating the region's transition from a bustling mining hub to more dispersed ranching and transit activities. High-elevation landmarks like Aurora Crater, Bald Peak, and Mt Hicks dominate the terrain, while the East Walker River flows through the northern reaches near the steep Aldrich Grade.