1989 Map of Wilbur Springs

About this map

Wilbur Springs serves as the focal point for this late twentieth-century survey of the high ridge country along the Colusa and Lake county line. The landscape is defined by an intensive history of mineral extraction, with numerous workings such as the Abbott Mine, Turkey Run Mine, and Manzanita Mine clustered near Sulphur Creek. These sites, along with the Wide Awake Mine and Empire Mine, trace a legacy of quicksilver and gold prospecting that shaped the local economy. The terrain transitions from the steep grades of Walker Ridge down to the broad Bear Valley, where Bear Creek and Freshwater Creek drain the eastern slopes. Near the center of the quadrangle, a lonely Schoolhouse stands as a remnant of the small rural community that once supported the surrounding mining and ranching operations in this isolated corner of Northern California.