1954 Map of Pilot Hill

About this map

Blue hatching across the western and southern canyons of the North Fork American River indicates the impending transformation of this landscape by the North Fork American River Reservoir. This 1954 survey captures the Foothills before the waters rose, documenting several riverbar settlements marked as sites, including Whiskey Bar, Rattlesnake Bar, and Goose Flat. The map provides a critical record for genealogists and local historians, showing the Bayley House and the Pilot Hill Cemetery near the community of Pilot Hill. Gold-era remnants are visible throughout the terrain, from the Zantgraf Mine and Lukens Mine to the complex network of water infrastructure like the Boardman Canal and Nigger Hill Ditch. This document preserves the final terrestrial layout of the river forks and the historic Rattlesnake Bridge crossing before they were submerged by the Folsom Reservoir project.