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1902 Map of Colfax

Name: 1902 Topographic Map of Colfax
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1922
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1922

About this map

Mining operations and early mountain settlements define this landscape surveyed in the late 1880s, where the Southern Pacific Railroad winds through the Sierra Nevada foothills. The map documents a significant era of hydraulic and hard-rock mining, showing the massive Malakoff Mine near North Bloomfield, as well as the Alaska Mine and Derbec Mine. These industrial hubs are surrounded by legendary Gold Rush-era camps and towns such as Alleghany, Moores Flat, and the curiously named You Bet.

Regional infrastructure is anchored by the Colfax townsite and several vital river crossings like Edwards Bridge and various Toll House locations. The deep canyons of the Middle Fork Yuba River and the North Fork American River isolate high ridges like Harmony Ridge and Chalk Bluff Ridge. Smaller, culturally specific enclaves like Chinatown and community facilities such as the County Hospital provide a detailed view of the social fabric in the Tahoe National Forest region during the late nineteenth century.