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1893 Map of Bidwell Bar

Name: 1893 Topographic Map of Bidwell Bar
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1893
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1893

About this map

The Feather River and its tributaries dominate this late-nineteenth-century landscape, highlighting an era of intense resource extraction and early mountain settlement. Bidwell Bar serves as a primary geographic anchor near the river's forks, surrounded by a network of mining operations and mills such as Snows Mine and the Old Reliance Mill. The terrain is characterized by steep ridges and high flats like Walker Plain and the Gravel Range, where isolated outposts like Merrimac and Junction House provided essential stops for travelers moving through the Plumas region.

Evidence of the local ranching and transit economy is seen in the many named residences and stops, including American House, Bucks Ranch, and Lasslys. These labels reflect a time before modern infrastructure, when the Cherokee Bridge was a vital link over the North Fork Feather River. The map also captures several settlements that were central to the community's identity during the 1880s, including Strawberry Valley and Forbestown.