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1942 Map of Watts Valley

Name: 1942 Topographic Map of Watts Valley
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1957
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1957

About this map

Burrough Valley and the surrounding foothills of the western Sierra Nevada define this 1942 survey of eastern Fresno County. The landscape is a network of small agricultural settlements and mountain rancherias, notably the Cold Spring Rancheria and the community of Piedra, which served as a terminus near the Kings River. The area’s extractive history is well-documented through several labeled mining operations, including the Copper King Mine, Clara Mine, and the Sunnyside Mine.

Transport and irrigation infrastructure are central to the region's development, as seen in the Enterprise Canal and the presence of Elk Siding. Local civic life is anchored by a series of one-room schoolhouses like Hawkins Sch and Oakhurst Sch, alongside the Hazelton Cem. This map captures the transition from the rugged timberlands of the Sierra National Forest to the managed irrigation districts of the valley floor before mid-century expansion altered many of these rural corridors.