1952 Map of Westville

About this map

Tahoe National Forest dominates this mid-century survey of Placer County, where the steep canyons of the North Fork American River and the South Fork American River converge. The landscape is a complex network of early mining and industrial infrastructure, ranging from the Southern Pacific RR corridor in the north to the extensive water-management systems of the Iowa Hill Ditch and Wheeler Ditch. Evidence of earlier settlement is found at Damascus (Site) and Forks House (Site), while active and inactive operations like the Maxwell Sawmill (Inactive) and Rawhide Mine suggest a region shaped by timber and gold. The sheer verticality of the terrain is reflected in the numerous subterranean features, including the Cape Horn Tunnel, Alameda Tunnel, and Honey Tunnel, which cut through the high divides of Deadwood Ridge and Humbug Ridge.