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1953 Map of Alborn

Name: 1953 Topographic Map of Alborn
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1971
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1971

About this map

The Duluth Missabe and Iron Range Railroad forms the backbone of this northern Minnesota landscape, creating a vital industrial corridor through St. Louis County. At Coleraine Junction, rail lines branch off to serve the iron-rich hinterlands, while the small settlement of Alborn acts as a central hub for the surrounding rural townships. The map reveals a community defined by its proximity to water and iron, with homes and structures clustered near Artichoke Lake and along the winding Artichoke River.

Genealogists will find significant local history in the distribution of cemeteries and churches, such as the Bethlehem Ch Spruce Hill Cem and the Indian Cem near the river. Smaller settlements like Arlberg, Culver, and Burnett are clearly marked, alongside essential early-century infrastructure including a Ranger Station and a Water Tank at the rail junction. The transition from these rail-dependent towns to the marshy areas around Schelin Lake illustrates the challenges of early development in the Arrowhead Region.