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1902 Map of Colfax

Name: 1902 Topographic Map of Colfax
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1910
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1910

About this map

Malakoff Mine and the massive hydraulic operations of North Bloomfield dominate the northern landscape of this survey, conducted as the Gold Rush era transitioned into established mountain industry. The map meticulously documents the rugged Gold Country terrain where the Middle Fork Yuba River and North Fork American River carve through the Sierra foothills. Central to the region's commerce is the Southern Pacific Railroad, winding its way past mining settlements like Dutch Flat, Gold Run, and Alta.

Evidence of diverse community life appears in labels for Chinatown and the County Hospital, while remote camps like Nigger Tent and Snow Tent recall the area's earlier prospecting days. From the ridge-top lumbering at Sugarpine Mill to the deep canyon crossings at Edwards Bridge, the map captures a network of Toll House stations and timber mills supporting the high-altitude economies of Michigan Bluff and Forest Hill.