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1902 Map of Colfax

Name: 1902 Topographic Map of Colfax
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1914
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1914

About this map

The Southern Pacific Railroad winds through this Sierra Nevada landscape, tracing the high ridges above the South Fork Yuba River and Middle Fork Yuba River. Surveyed in the late 1880s, the map documents a region defined by industrial extraction and high-elevation transit, where hydraulic and hard-rock operations like the Delhi Mine, Alaska Mine, and Derbec Mine drove the local economy. Settlements such as North Bloomfield and North Columbia appear alongside landmarks like the Kennebec House and County Hospital, illustrating the social infrastructure that supported the mining districts.

Transportation patterns are dictated by the steep topography, with routes crossing at Edwards Bridge and Toll Bridge. High-country water management is evident in the cluster of reservoirs and lakes near the Black Mountains, including French Lake and Culbertson Lake. The presence of the Sugarpine Mill and Nelson Mill indicates a robust timber industry working in tandem with the mines to exploit the region's natural resources.