1950 Map of Colfax

About this map

Colfax serves as the central hub of this mid-century survey, situated where the Southern Pacific tracks wind through the foothills of the Sierra Nevada. The landscape is a complex network of industrial history and small settlements, heavily defined by the gold-mining legacy of Placer and Nevada Counties. Deep canyons carved by the North Fork American River and the Bear River create dramatic verticality, separating ridge-top communities like Dutch Flat and Alta from the hydraulic diggings and mines below. The map documents an era of transition, showing the Sanatorium at Weimar and the persistent infrastructure of the gold rush, including the Iowa Hill Mine and Banner Mine. Small homesteads and family-named landmarks like John Brown Flat and Brady Ranch are scattered across the Tahoe National Forest, offering a detailed look at the rural habitation patterns before modern expansion.