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1901 Map of Big Trees

Name: 1901 Topographic Map of Big Trees
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1941
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1941

About this map

The North Fork Stanislaus River and the North Fork Mokelumne River carve through this section of the Sierra Nevada, defining a landscape dominated by the Stanislaus National Forest and El Dorado National Forest. Recorded during surveys in 1890-91, the map reveals a rugged mining and timber economy at the turn of the century. Notable concentrations of activity appear at Columbia, Murphy, and Douglas Flat, where water-dependent industries relied on the steep river forks.

Deep canyons and high peaks like Mount Knight and Mount Elizabeth are punctuated by early landmarks of California conservation, specifically the Calaveras Grove (Big Trees) and Calaveras Big Trees (South Grove). Transport across these difficult grades was facilitated by early river crossings such as Abbott Ferry, Parrott Ferry, and Bakers Crossing, providing essential links between isolated mining camps like Sheep Ranch and the broader Calaveras and Tuolumne county regions.