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1897 Map of Bidwell Bar

Name: 1897 Topographic Map of Bidwell Bar
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1938
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1938

About this map

Bidwell Bar and the surrounding Sierra Nevada foothills appear here as they were surveyed in the late nineteenth century, reflecting a landscape defined by the legacies of the Gold Rush. The map shows a network of remote mining camps and mountain outposts such as Snows Mine and Forbestown. Significant agricultural and transit points like Bucks Ranch and Spanish Ranch are situated along the complex drainage of the Feather River’s branches.

Topographer R.H. Mc. Kee recorded a terrain of high peaks and basins, including the notable Granite Basin and Frenchman Hill. Small, localized settlements like Strawberry Valley, Enterprise, and Mooretown suggest the dispersed nature of early mountain communities before more modern infrastructure. The boundaries of the Plumas National Forest and Lassen National Forest are clearly delineated, marking the transition of these lands into federal management during this era.