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1954 Map of Pilot Hill

Name: 1954 Topographic Map of Pilot Hill
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1960
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1960

About this map

Gold mining history defines the landscape of the American River's North and South Forks in the early 1950s. This survey records a critical moment of transition, with blue hatching indicating areas destined to be submerged by the Folsom Reservoir at the spillway elevation. Many historic mining settlements, identified here as sites, are positioned along the riverbanks including Whiskey Bar, Horseshoe Bar, and Rattlesnake Bar near the Rattlesnake Bridge.

Away from the rising waters, the settlement at Pilot Hill remains anchored by the Pilot Hill Cemetery and the Bayley House. The area is dotted with evidence of extraction, from the Zantgraf Mine on the canyon slopes to the Lukens Mine and Boulder Mine in the hills. The map also shows the Auburn Rancheria and several water management features like the Natomas Diversion Dam, which supported the region's agricultural and mining infrastructure through an extensive network of ditches and canals.