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1893 Map of Placerville

Name: 1893 Topographic Map of Placerville
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1928
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1928

About this map

The Sacramento and Placerville Railroad terminates in this late-19th-century study of California's Gold Country, documenting the complex network of mining camps and early timber operations. The map provides a remarkable view of the terrain around Coloma, the site of the first gold discovery, and extends through the deep drainages of the North Fork American River and South Fork American River.

Evidence of the region's industrial foundations is seen in the scattered presence of sites like the Mammoth Mine, Starlight Mine, and various lumber works such as the Sly Park Mill and Dyers Mill. Remote outposts and waypoints, including the Mile Hill Toll House, Hanks Exchange, and Twelve Mile House, highlight the era's difficult transportation routes. From the settlements of Georgetown and Greenwood to the high reaches of the Eldorado National Forest, the map preserves the landscape of the Mother Lode during its transition from frontier mining to established mountain communities.