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1950 Map of Challenge

Name: 1950 Topographic Map of Challenge
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1956
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1956

About this map

The North Fork Yuba River defines the eastern landscape of this Yuba County survey, centered on the settlement of Challenge and the expansive waters of the Bullards Bar Reservoir. Located within the Plumas National Forest, the region shows a transition from 19th-century resource extraction toward modern water management, anchored by the Bullards Bar Dam. The terrain is marked by numerous family holdings and ranch sites, including Gochette Ranch, Burris Ranch, and Williams Ranch, alongside the community of Sharon Valley.

Resource extraction history is visible through the Horseshoe Mine, the Red Cross Mine, and the Mother Lode Mine (Inactive), while industrial infrastructure like the Colgate Tunnel and a Sawmill near Challenge point to the area's economic foundations. Notable high points like Oregon Pk, featuring a Lookout Tower, and Pike County Pk command the ridges above the deep river canyons and named bars such as Elbow Bar and Sucker Bar.