Loading map...

1895 Map of Chico

Name: 1895 Topographic Map of Chico
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1905
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1905

About this map

Chico serves as the central hub of this late-19th-century landscape, where the flat valley floor meets the rising Sierra Nevada foothills. The transit corridors of the Southern Pacific R. R. and the San Francisco and Portland Line define the agricultural lowlands, while the canyons to the east are carved by Big Chico Creek and Butte Creek. This terrain is dotted with early industry, particularly timber and milling operations like Keefer's Mill and Hupps Mill.

Further into the ridges, old mining and logging outposts such as Helltown, Nimshew, and Magalia appear alongside landmarks like the Lucky Jim Mine. The complex network of stage roads and trails, including the Humboldt Road and L. S. Trail, provided essential links between remote camps and the valley. Notable topographical features like Saw Mill Peak and Castle Rock dominate the skyline above settlements like Paradise and Diamondville.