Fun Map along Famous Donner US 40

Follow the Route of the Old Donner Trail… Along Famous U.S. Highway 40.

This colorful pictorial map uses one of America’s most notorious tragedies to promote tourism along U.S. Highway 40 in California. The image, oriented with east at the top, was drawn by George Matthis in Nevada City and issued by Trip Teaser Productions.

Attractively illustrated mountain ranges are separated by blue lakes and verdant valleys. Twelve different ski resorts are numbered and identified in the lower right, while campgrounds, ski & hiking trails, and highways are noted according to the legend in the lower left. Emigrant’s routes are also shown – an interesting combination of both historic and modern. According to the Newberry Library;

“Published in 1955, this “Fun Map” of US 40 charts the Donner Party’s infamous journey west through a series of colorful cartoon vignettes. After a series of mishaps and poor decision-making, the Donner Party—a group of American pioneers from the Midwest who migrated to California via wagon train—were forced to camp in the Sierra Nevada Mountains in the winter of 1846-47. During that time, nearly half the party died (most from starvation and exposure). Decades later, the route across Donner Pass was followed by the Central Pacific Railroad, US 40, and Interstate 80.”