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1944 Map of Fort Ross

Name: 1944 Topographic Map of Fort Ross
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1944
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1944

About this map

The Fort Ross State Historic Monument anchors this coastal survey, where the rugged topography of the Sonoma coast meets the Pacific. Surveyed during the early 1940s, the map reveals a landscape defined by steep ridges and deep gulches, with the South Fork Gualala River carving through the center. Small settlements and family holdings like Seafeldt Ranch and Happy Hill Ranch appear alongside community landmarks such as Seaview Cem and the Creighton Ridge Sch.

Industrial activity in the hills is marked by the Layton Mine (Chromite) and the Manganese Mine (Inactive), reflecting wartime resource extraction. Down along the coastal bench, Fort Ross and Fort Ross Cove mark the historical core of the Russian settlement. The presence of an abandoned timber operation at Murphy Mill (Abandoned) on the Middle Branch Russian Gulch suggests a transition in land use from primary industry to the early stages of historic preservation and rural residence.