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1949 Map of Grass Valley

Name: 1949 Topographic Map of Grass Valley
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1954
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1954

About this map

Gold mining operations define the landscape surrounding Grass Valley in the late 1940s, with a dense network of shafts and tailings ponds concentrated east and south of the town center. Extensive industrial footprints like the Empire Mine and Idaho-Maryland Mine sit alongside smaller operations such as the North Star Mine and Ophir Hill Mine. The town's social fabric is visible through landmarks like the Hennessey Sch, St Marys Cem, and Grass Valley Memorial Hospital.

Beyond the urban core, the terrain transitions into a patchwork of hills and flats where rural life persists at La Barr Meadows and Randolph Flat. Significant infrastructure, including the Loma Rica Airport and the intricate water system of the Alta Hill Res and Banner Res, supported both the extraction industry and the growing community. Smaller settlements like Cedar Ridge and Peardale illustrate the outward expansion along the Colfax Highway during this era of deep-quartz mining.