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1949 Map of Wheatland

Name: 1949 Topographic Map of Wheatland
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1964
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1964

About this map

Gold-dredging scars and early California military history define this 1949 survey of the region surrounding Wheatland. Massive deposits of Tailings along the Yuba River reveal the scale of industrial mining, specifically around Hammonton and the Marigold dredging fields. To the north, the hard-rock heritage of the northern mines is evident at the Browns Valley Mine and Donnebroge Mine, while the former hydraulic mining camps of Timbuctoo and Smartville overlook the river from the hills.

A significant portion of the landscape is dominated by the Camp Beale Military Reservation, which repurposed vast tracts of ranching land for mid-century defense. Local history is anchored by the Camp Far West (Historic Site) and the Lofton Cem along the Bear River, marking one of the earliest military outposts in the interior. From the Southern Pacific rail line at Erle Siding to the remote Spenceville (Site), the map documents a transition from pioneer gold camps to a modernizing military and agricultural landscape.