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1951 Map of Downieville

Name: 1951 Topographic Map of Downieville
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1970
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1970

About this map

The North Fork Yuba River and its myriad tributaries anchor this detailed survey of the gold-rich Sierra Nevada. As of the early 1950s, the landscape is defined by its deep mining heritage, showing numerous active and inactive sites such as the Union Keystone Mine, Monte Cristo Mine, and the Oxford Mine & Mill. The map documents a network of hydraulic and drift mining settlements that grew during the Gold Rush, including Port Wine, Gibsonville, and Scales.

Remote encampments and homesteads like Marvin Ranch and St Charles Hill are found along the ridges, while larger settlements like Downieville and Goodyears Bar sit nestled in the river canyons. Cultural landmarks, such as the Euteka Cem and the Old Min House (Site), provide critical data for genealogists tracing family ties to the Plumas and Tahoe National Forests. The intricate detail of the Craycroft Diggings and Yankee Hill Placer Diggings illustrates the extensive earth-moving operations that reshaped these canyons.