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1919 Map of Merced Falls

Name: 1919 Topographic Map of Merced Falls
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1919
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1919

About this map

Merced Falls stands as the primary hub of activity in this 1916 survey, situated where the Merced River cuts through the border of Mariposa and Merced Counties. The settlement is flanked by heavy industrial evidence, most notably the extensive Tailings deposited along the riverbank, indicating the intense gold dredging and mining operations of the era. This preliminary edition highlights a landscape in transition, where established transit routes like Old Mill Road and Hornitos Road connect the riverside works to the surrounding hills.

The topography transitions sharply from the alluvial flats near the river to the dissected uplands of the South Fork Dry Creek drainage. While much of the northern section is marked as a Preliminary Edition Unsurveyed Area, the detailed portions provide a clear look at the infrastructure of the central California foothills before mid-century development. The inclusion of the Yosemite Valley rail or road corridor underscores the importance of this corridor as a gateway to the high sierra.