1949 Map of Grass Valley

About this map

Grass Valley and its surrounding gold-bearing terrain dominate this postwar landscape, updated to show the expanding footprint of the 1970s. The map highlights a massive network of industrial legacies, from the sprawling Empire Mine and North Star Mine to the complex operations at the Idaho-Maryland Mine. These workings, many identified with their specific shafts and tailings ponds like those near Ophir Hill, reflect the deep-rooted mining economy of Nevada County. Small settlements and specialized locations such as Town Talk, Boston Ravine, and La Barr Meadows are joined by the Nevada County Memorial Hospital and Mt St Marys Acad, anchoring the civic life of the region. The landscape is also defined by essential water infrastructure, including the Rough and Ready Ditch and numerous reservoirs like Grass Valley Res, which historically fed both the mines and the agricultural properties like Stockdale Ranch.