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1936 Map of Mountain City

Name: 1936 Topographic Map of Mountain City
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1974
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1974

About this map

Mountain City and the surrounding Elko County mining districts are captured here during a period of significant mineral production in the mid-1930s. The landscape is defined by the copper-rich Rio Tinto Mine and gold operations like the Golden Ensign Mine and California Mine, which anchored the local economy. The town of Patsville appears alongside civil and agricultural infrastructure, including the Mountain City Ranger Sta, the Mountain City Landing Field, and several established family properties such as McKenzie Ranch and Kunz Ranch.

Remote canyons and peaks like Merritt Mtn and Blizzard Bluff provide a backdrop for a network of springs and gulches, including Moonshine Spring and Snowshoe Gulch. This survey details a rugged mining frontier transitioning into the modern era, where the Owyhee River and high-altitude basins like Horse Heaven Flat shaped the movement of both prospectors and ranchers across the Humboldt National Forest.