1939 Map of Yreka

About this map

Yreka serves as the focal point of this northern Siskiyou County landscape, where the Shasta River valley meets the complex mountains of the Klamath National Forest. The map documents a rugged extractive economy at the end of the 1930s, defined by numerous remote operations such as the Sterling Mine, Cinnabar Mine, and Eliza Mine. Transportation is dominated by the Southern Pacific railroad corridor, which links the settlements of Hornbrook, Montague, Grenada, and Gazelle. To the west, the Scott River valley supports a series of smaller communities including Fort Jones, Greenview, and Mugginsville. A notable concentration of rural infrastructure is visible in the numerous district schools like Delphic Sch and Meamber Sch, reflecting a distributed population prior to the mid-century consolidation of local education and the modern highway system.