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1947 Map of Cherokee

Name: 1947 Topographic Map of Cherokee
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1961
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1961

About this map

The hydraulic mining heritage of Butte County is strikingly evident on this mid-century survey, centered on the historic Cherokee settlement and the massive Cherokee Placer Mine. The landscape is a complex network of ridges and ravines, where the West Branch Feather River carves through the center, flanked by Morgan Ridge and Glover Ridge. This era shows a rural infrastructure of small schools like the Messilla Valley Sch and Concow School, alongside scattered communities such as Pentz and Yankee Hill PO.

Water management for mining and local use is well-documented through features like the Kunkle Res, Grub Flat Reservoir, and the Sawmill Ravine drainage. Traces of early 20th-century industry remain visible in the New Era Mine and the Cape Horn Mine, while the Clear Creek Cemetery and Hesbol Memorial Spring offer specific touchpoints for genealogists and local historians tracking the families who inhabited the Messilla Valley.