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1951 Map of Foresthill

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

USGS Topo · Published 1951

About this map

The ridge-and-canyon landscape of the Forest Hill Divide is defined by a dense legacy of hydraulic and hard-rock gold mining. Centered on the town of Foresthill, this 1951 survey reveals a landscape scarred and shaped by extensive Placer Diggings along the slopes of the North Fork American River and the Middle Fork American River. Numerous family and corporate claims are documented, including the Baltimore Mine, the San Francisco Mine, and the Morning Star Mine near Iowa Hill.

Beyond the industrial workings, the map records the early infrastructure of the Tahoe National Forest, including the Old Sugar Pine Guard Sta and the Foresthill Landing Strip. Isolated homesteads and agricultural clearings such as Ebberts Ranch and Baker Ranch punctuate the high ground between Shirttail Canyon and Devils Canyon, illustrating the era's balance between extractive industry and remote mountain settlement.