Monte Cristo, California
28 topographic sheets cover this place, the earliest surveyed in 1891 and the latest in 2000. It stands in the West Sierra census division. It stands on Eureka Creek. The Survey maps it on the Downieville quadrangle. The federal gazetteer marks this settlement historical: it is no longer a populated place, though the surveys that recorded it still are.
Then and now
1891 to 2000The same ground, surveyed 109 years apart. Drag the handle to wipe between them. Both sheets are United States Geological Survey originals; neither has been altered.


Topographic sheets covering this place
11 surveys from 28 printed sheetsMatched by testing this settlement's coordinate against the published boundary of every sheet in the United States Geological Survey's historical collection. Each opens the scanned sheet at the Survey.
- 1891 USGS Downieville quadrangle1:125000
- 1893 USGS Downieville quadrangle1:125000
- 1895 USGS Downieville quadrangle1:125000
- 1896 USGS Downieville quadrangle1:125000
- 1897 USGS Downieville quadrangle1:125000, 7 printings
- 1951 USGS Downieville quadrangle1:62500, 3 printings
- 1951 USGS Downieville quadrangle1:24000, 6 printings
- 1958 USGS Chico quadrangle1:250000, 4 printings
- 1960 USGS Chico quadrangle1:250000
- 1979 USGS Portola quadrangle1:100000, 2 printings
- 2000 USGS Downieville quadrangle1:24000
Fires near this place
41 since 1992Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal wildfire occurrence database lists 41 fires within 5 miles of Monte Cristo (historical) between 1992 and 2019, burning about 214 acres in total. 22 started naturally. 1 was recorded as arson. Distance is straight-line from the map coordinates, so a fire counted here may appear on a neighbouring settlement's page as well.
| Reported cause | Fires |
|---|---|
| Natural | 22 |
| Recreation and ceremony | 6 |
| Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 4 |
| Debris and open burning | 3 |
| Equipment and vehicle use | 2 |
| Power generation/transmission/distribution | 1 |
| Smoking | 1 |
| Other causes | 1 |
| Arson/incendiarism | 1 |
The most recent of them, most recent first, with the day each was reported and the service that recorded it.
| Date | Cause | Size | Reported by | Name on the report |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 September 2017 | Natural | under an acre | Tahoe National Forest | CHARLES |
| 29 September 2019 | Natural | under an acre | Tahoe National Forest | CRAIG |
| 24 September 2001 | Natural | 2.0 acres | Tahoe National Forest | FIR |
| 17 September 1996 | Natural | under an acre | Tahoe National Forest | GRIZZLY |
| 7 August 2014 | Natural | under an acre | Tahoe National Forest | NEW YORK |
| 7 August 2009 | Natural | under an acre | Tahoe National Forest | CLAMPER |
| 5 August 2012 | Natural | under an acre | Tahoe National Forest | GALLOWAY |
| 25 August 2003 | Natural | under an acre | Tahoe National Forest | OAK |
Settlements close enough to share some of these fires:
Mines and quarries near this place
10 of 213 shownRegional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal mineral resources record lists 213 workings within 5 miles of Monte Cristo (historical): 93 past producers, 51 occurrences, 36 producers, 19 unknowns. 36 still produce. What was taken out: Gold, Silver, Chromium, Sand and Gravel, Construction. Distance is straight-line from the map coordinates, so a quarry counted here may appear on a neighbouring settlement's page as well.
| Where | Site | Commodity | Status | Recorded |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oxford Mine | Chromium, Iron | Past Producer | 1918 | |
| Reported Occurrence | Antimony | Occurrence | ||
| Secret Canyon | Gold, Manganese | Past Producer | Gold | |
| W W Casserely | Asbestos | Prospect | ||
| Unnamed Sand and Gravel | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Prospect | Sedimentary | |
| Unnamed Sand and Gravel | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Prospect | ||
| Casserly | Chromium | Prospect | ||
| Casserly Prospect | Chromium | Occurrence | Chromite | |
| Fraction Claim | Chromium | Producer | 1942, 1944 | |
| Golconda | Chromium | Past Producer |
Nearest settlements
The eight closest, with where each one stands in the county. Distances are straight-line, computed from the Geographic Names Information System coordinates.
| Map | Place | Distance | Sheets |
|---|---|---|---|
| Eureka (historical) | 2.3 miles | 27 | |
| Oxford Mill | 2.4 miles | 28 | |
| Downieville | 3.0 miles | 28 | |
| Maredith Mill | 3.3 miles | 26 | |
| Goodyears Bar | 4.1 miles | 27 | |
| Morristown | 4.6 miles | 26 | |
| Mount Vernon (historical) | 5.1 miles | 28 | |
| McMahons (historical) | 5.4 miles | 27 |
Provenance
This settlement is recorded in the Geographic Names Information System as feature 1701303. The sheet list is computed by point-in-boundary test against the United States Geological Survey's historical topographic inventory. Both are works of the United States government and carry no copyright under 17 U.S.C. 105.
Wildfire. Short, Karen C. 2022. Spatial wildfire occurrence data for the United States, 1992-2020 [FPA_FOD_20221014]. 6th Edition. Fort Collins, CO: Forest Service Research Data Archive. https://doi.org/10.2737/RDS-2013-0009.6 Collected with United States Government funding and usable without additional permissions or fees.
Mines and quarries. USGS Mineral Resources Data System (MRDS) https://mrdata.usgs.gov/mrds/ A work of the United States government, no copyright under 17 U.S.C. 105.










