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1944 Map of Wilbur Springs

Name: 1944 Topographic Map of Wilbur Springs
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1944
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1944

About this map

The quicksilver mining district near Wilbur Springs defines the character of this mid-century landscape along the Colusa Co Lake Co border. The concentration of mineral operations at the southern end of the sheet, including the Abbott Mine, Mercury Mine, and Wide Awake Mine, highlights a period of intense industrial activity in the Inner Coast Ranges. Settlement patterns are sparse and focused around transit points and resource hubs, notably at the small community of Leesville and the Mountain House junction.

The topography transitions from the dramatic ridgelines of Walker Ridge and Gravelly Buttes in the west to the alluvial basins of Glenn Valley Slough and Manor Slough in the east. Strategic ranching and travel stops like Huffmaster Ranch are situated along the valleys carved by Bear Creek and Freshwater Creek. The inclusion of small family or local landmarks such as the Cem near Leesville provides essential evidence for genealogists and local historians tracking the early rural development of this corner of Northern California.