1902 Map of Colfax

About this map

The Southern Pacific Railroad winds through the high Sierra foothills in this late 19th-century survey, tracing the ridgelines above the North Fork American River. This is the landscape of the California Gold Rush at a point of industrial transition, where early mining camps like You Bet and Red Dog remain visible alongside massive hydraulic operations near Malakoff Hill and North Bloomfield. The map captures the intricate water systems required for these enterprises, featuring extensive reservoirs and ditches that fed the Alaska Mine and Delhi Mine.