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1957 Map of Placerville

Name: 1957 Topographic Map of Placerville
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1959
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1959

About this map

Placerville stands as the central hub of this mid-century survey, surrounded by the deep drainages of the Boise National Forest. The landscape is heavily marked by the legacy of hydraulic and placer mining, with extensive tailings visible along Grimes Creek and Mud Flat. The map reveals a dense network of gold mining operations, including the Iowa Mine, Gold Hill Mine, and the Hatley Placer Mine, illustrating the intense industrial activity that once defined this region.

Downstream from the main settlement, Centerville and New Centerville sit near the confluence of Garden Gulch and Grimes Creek. The terrain is characterized by steep ridges like Mineral Mtn and Alder Creek Summit, which are carved by numerous family-named gulches such as Fisher Gulch and Pauls Gulch. Remote outposts like Brassey Ranch and Star Ranch are connected by a series of mountain trails, reflecting the isolated ranching and mining life of the late 1950s.