1950 Map of Onion Valley

About this map

Middle Fork Feather River and the South Fork Feather River cut through this gold-rich section of the Sierra Nevada, where the 1950 landscape is defined by its mining heritage. Numerous inactive sites such as the White Pine Chrome Mine and the Feather Fork Mine are scattered across the terrain, alongside former settlements like Onion Valley and Last Chance. The map documents the intricate network of water management and resource extraction, from the Onion Valley Reservoir to Placer Diggings and Monitor Flat. Small outposts and camps like Barkers Cabin and McCarthy Bar are preserved here, tucked away from the higher elevations of Gibsonville Ridge and peaks like Fowler Peak. This survey provides a precise record of the infrastructure supporting the Plumas National Forest, including the Cleghorn Bar Road and various trails that connected these remote mountain reaches during the mid-century.