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1947 Map of Browns Valley

Name: 1947 Topographic Map of Browns Valley
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1976
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1976

About this map

Gold mining and hydraulic history define the landscape along the Yuba River in this mid-century survey. The northern reaches show the legacy of quartz mining at the Donnebroge Mine and Pennsylvania Mine near the settlement of Browns Valley. To the south, the massive industrial footprint of dredging is evident in the sprawling tailings surrounding Hammonton, where the river’s path is altered by a complex network of levees and the Daguerre Point Dam.

Evidence of rural community life is anchored by local institutions like Browns Valley Sch and Brophy Sch, while the southeastern corner is dominated by the emergence of Beale Air Force Base. The transition from family-owned lands such as the Sid Smith Ranch to large-scale military and industrial utility highlights the shifting priorities of Yuba County during the postwar era. Water management is a central theme, traced through numerous unnamed ditches and the course of Honcut Creek and Dry Creek.