1951 Map of Onion Valley

About this map

Middle Fork Feather River carves a deep canyon through this portion of the northern Sierra Nevada, where the 1951 landscape is defined by a legacy of gold and mineral extraction. The map reveals a transition toward post-mining industry, with numerous sites such as the White Pine Chrome Mine and the Wilson-Gomez Mine listed as inactive. Settlements like McCarthy Bar and Rich Bar cling to the riverbanks, while higher elevations within the Plumas National Forest show the footprint of earlier habitations at Onion Valley (Site) and Last Chance (Site). The terrain is crisscrossed by historic routes like the Gibsonville Trail and Claremont Trail, which once served remote outposts and diggings. Evidence of hydraulic and placer mining remains visible at Mister Diggings, illustrating the intensive labor that shaped the drainages of Onion Valley Creek and the South Fork Feather River before the mid-20th century.