1955 Map of Martis Peak

About this map

Martis Peak stands as the high point of this Sierra Nevada landscape, looking down over the Truckee River and the winding tracks of the Southern Pacific railroad. The mid-1950s environment is one of managed wilderness and remnant pioneer industry, where the Union Mills (Site) near Hirschdale marks a legacy of timber production. The map captures a transition between the Tahoe Nat Forest and the Toiyabe National Forest, showing a network of logging and service access through numerous Jeep Trails. Local history is preserved in the naming of the Old Joerger Ranch and the isolated Brockway Guard Sta, while the hydrology of the area is detailed through features like Klondike Meadow and the headwaters of Martis Creek. The survey provides a clear view of the complex terrain at Brockway Summit and the high-elevation flats like Sawmill Flat, reflecting an era of seasonal grazing and forest management before modern development intensified around the Tahoe basin.