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1948 Map of Bear Valley

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

USGS Topo · Published 1948

About this map

The gold-bearing quartz veins of the Mother Lode dominate the landscape of this mid-century survey, with the Bullion Mountains rising above a network of significant mining operations. Industrial activity is concentrated along the ridges, where major workings like the Pine Tree Mine, Josephine Mine, and French Mine mark the enduring legacy of the region's extraction history. In the valleys, the Merced River cuts through the northern portion of the quadrangle, passing Washington Flat and McCabe Flat.

Local settlement patterns reflect the era's transition, centered on Bear Valley and Mt Bullion. The map documents civic and family infrastructure, including the Bear Valley Sch and distinctive agricultural sites like Pendola Gardens and Trabucco Gardens. Notable topographical features like Fremont Pk and Telegraph Hill provide high-ground markers for a terrain deeply etched by seasonal drainages such as Sherlock Creek and Drunken Gulch.