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1949 Map of Railroad Flat

Name: 1949 Topographic Map of Railroad Flat
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1949
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1949

About this map

Railroad Flat and Glencoe anchor this survey of the Sierra Nevada foothills shortly after the Second World War. The landscape is defined by the deep incisions of the Middle Fork Mokelumne River and the North Fork Calaveras River, which carved the gold-bearing canyons that drove the region's 19th-century boom. Evidence of this persistent mineral interest remains visible through numerous claims, including the Etna Mine, Wolverine Mine, and the Jeff Davis Mine near Independence.

Transportation routes like Ponderosa Way and Whiskey Slide Road navigate the complex topography of Alabama Hill and various drainages like Wet Gulch and Jesus Maria Creek. The presence of the Victory Dude Ranch suggests a mid-century shift toward recreation and tourism, while small cemeteries and remote reservoirs such as Clark Res and Emery Res mark the essential infrastructure of these foothill communities during a period of transition in the California Mother Lode.