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1917 Map of Sites

Name: 1917 Topographic Map of Sites
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1917
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1917

About this map

Antelope Valley serves as the focal point for this early 20th-century survey of the California foothills, where industrial extraction and early transport routes defined the local economy. The settlement of Sites sits at the base of the ridges, acting as a terminus for the Colusa and Lake railroad and road system. This infrastructure was essential for the operation of the Colusa Quarry and the nearby Mc Gillery Quarry, which carved into the sandstone of the Coast Range foothills.

The presence of the local Cemetery and the small cluster of structures at Golden Gate further north highlight the dispersed nature of these early mining and ranching communities. Water drainage via Stone Corral Creek and Funks Creek dictates the topography, showing how early development followed the natural contours of the valley floor before the landscape was altered by later irrigation and water management projects.