1949 Map of Lake Combie

About this map

Probable Route of Donner Party traces a historic line across the western foothills of the Sierra Nevada, marking the path through territory that would later become a hub of Placer and Nevada County life. The Bear River and its major tributaries, including Wolf Creek and Magnolia Creek, define the drainage patterns of this landscape, supporting agricultural and residential growth visible in the emergence of Lake of the Pines and the expansion of Meadow Vista. Local history is deeply embedded in the terrain, from the legacy of mining at the Stockton Hill Mine to the community foundations at Limekiln Sch and the State Forestry Guard Sta. The map highlights the transition of the region's economy, where the waters of Lake Combie, managed by the Van Giesen Dam, transformed the surrounding flats like McCarty Flat and La Mar Flat for twentieth-century uses.