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1898 Map of Silver City

Name: 1898 Topographic Map of Silver City
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1898
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1898

About this map

Silver City anchors this 1890s survey of Owyhee County, Boise, and Canyon County, documenting the height of the silver and gold mining boom. The southern portion of the map is dominated by intensive underground operations, with the Black Jack Mine, Trade Dollar Mine, and Poorman Mine clustered around Florida Mt and War Eagle Mt. Nearby company towns like De Lamar, Dewey, and Democrat provide a clear view of the settlement patterns established by the mining industry before the turn of the century.

Transportation across the high desert and river canyons was vital for moving ore and supplies, shown here by the Boise Nampa and Owyhee RR terminating near Guffey and the Snake River. Ferries were the primary crossing points at this date, including the Warm Springs Ferry and Bernard Ferry. To the north and west, the landscape shifts toward ranching and agriculture near Rockville and along Reynolds Creek, providing a stark contrast to the industrial character of the silver camps.