1886 Map of Shasta

About this map

The northern California landscape is dominated by the volcanic presence of Mt Shasta and its companion peak, Shastina, during this late nineteenth-century survey. The region displays a diverse frontier economy, where mining operations like the Altoona Mines and Empire Mill are established alongside a complex network of settlements. In the Siskiyou Valley, the Yreka Irrigating Ditch snakes through the terrain toward Yreka, illustrating early efforts to manage water for both gold processing and agriculture. Strategic transit points such as Henley and the Ferry near Round Hill facilitate movement across the rugged northern reaches near the Oregon California Boundary Line. From the military history of Fort Jones to the small-scale mining camps of Mugginsville and Oro Fino, the map documents the transitional period when remote mountain drainages like the South Fork Scott River were becoming hubs of industry and permanent residency.