1894 Map of Big Trees

About this map

The Mokelumne River and Middle Fork Mokelumne River carve through this high-altitude landscape of the Sierra Nevada, marking the early borders of Amador, Calaveras, and Tuolumne counties. Surveyed in the early 1890s, the map highlights the iconic giant sequoia groves of Big Trees Calaveras Grove and the Calaveras Big Trees South Grove. These natural landmarks are surrounded by a network of ranching and mining outposts such as Swiss Ranch and the Keltz Mine, illustrating the shift from extraction toward early tourism and conservation. River crossings like Abbott Ferry and Bakers Crossing provided essential links between isolated mountain settlements and the growing mining districts. The terrain is dotted with family-named locations such as Walker, Moore, and Guishetti, reflecting the small-scale settlement patterns of late nineteenth-century California before modern highway development.