1942 Map of Oroville

About this map

The Feather River corridor and its surrounding foothills reveal a landscape shaped by hydraulic mining and railway expansion during the early 1940s. Centered on the city of Oroville, this survey illustrates a complex transition from the valley floor to the Sierra Nevada foothills, marked by significant water engineering and resource extraction. Settlements like Cherokee and Oregon City sit amidst a terrain defined by deep ravines and ridges, including Doe Mill Ridge and McKay Ridge. The industrial legacy of the region is evident in the New Era Mine and Bumble Bee Mines, while the irrigation network of the Western Canal supports the agricultural lands of Esquon and Fernandez. This period shows the coexistence of established rail routes, such as the Southern Pacific and Sacramento Northern, with emerging mountain roads like the Oroville Highway and Southern Pacific Highway.