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1950 Map of Colfax

Name: 1950 Topographic Map of Colfax
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1961
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1961

About this map

Colfax serves as a central hub in this high-altitude landscape of Placer and Nevada Counties, where the Southern Pacific railroad snakes through the Sierra Nevada foothills. The map reveals the extensive legacy of the Gold Rush, with hydraulic mining scars preserved at the Liberty Hill Diggings and Dutch Flat Diggings. The terrain is defined by deep incisions like Giant Gap along the North Fork American River, creating a dramatic series of ridges such as Moody Ridge and Banner Ridge.

Settlement patterns follow both the rail line and the historic wagon routes, including the Donner Trail. Beyond the primary towns of Dutch Flat and Foresthill, the map identifies former community centers like the Illinoistown (Site) and Secret Town (Site), providing a window into locations that had already begun to recede by the mid-20th century. Industrial features, from the Banner Mine to the Cascade Canal, illustrate the complex network of water management and resource extraction that transformed this portion of the Tahoe National Forest.