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1943 Map of Blairsden

Name: 1943 Topographic Map of Blairsden
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1948
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1948

About this map

The Middle Fork Feather River carves a deep path through this portion of the Plumas National Forest, serving as the primary corridor for the Western Pacific Railroad and regional transport during the late 1930s. Industrial activity is concentrated at the northern and southern extremes of the sheet, anchored by the Walker Cons Mine near Walkermine and the Plumas Eureka Mine above Johnsville. These mining hubs, along with the Walker Mine Compressor, reveal the intense geological extraction that defined the local economy before the mid-century.

Settlement patterns follow the river and rail lines, with small communities like Blairsden, Graeagle, and Sloat providing services to both miners and early recreationalists at the Auto Camp and Feather River Lodge. Elevated fire lookouts, including the Smith Pk Lookout and the station at Mt Ingalls, overlook a landscape of high peaks such as Penman Pk and Lava Pk, highlighting the logistical challenges of managing this timber-rich territory.