1912 Map of Keefers

About this map

Arroyo Chico dominates the lower landscape of this 1912 preliminary survey, where the valley floor begins its ascent into the foothills. The drainage patterns of Mud Creek and Sycamore Creek are meticulously charted at a high 1:31,680 scale, revealing the intricate network of watercourses that defined Northern California ranching and agriculture before the expansion of modern irrigation. The map reveals the transition from the flat agricultural lands of Arroyo Chico to the carved-out ravines of Sheep Hollow, Sycamore Hollow, and Sandy Gulch. Surveyed in cooperation with the State of California, this sheet captures the rural geography of Butte County as it appeared under the administration of Governor J. N. Gillett, showing early road alignments and the natural flow of Chico Creek through the eastern breaks.