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1974 Map of Alma

Name: 1974 Topographic Map of Alma
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1990
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1990

About this map

Mississippi River navigation and transport dominate this mid-1970s survey of the borderlands between Buffalo and Wabasha counties. The city of Alma is perched on the narrow riverbank beneath high bluffs, defined by the industrial presence of Lock and Dam No 4 and the Burlington Northern rail line. Across the water, the Zumbro River joins the main channel through a network of wetlands and islands protected within the Upper Mississippi River Wild Life and Fish Refuge.

On the Minnesota side, the town of Kellogg sits west of the Chicago Milwaukee St Paul and Pacific railroad, while further south, the settlement of Minneiska marks the river's edge. The map captures an era of conservation and managed river flow, evidenced by the Minnesota Memorial Hardwood State Forest and numerous backwater features like Peterson Lake and the West Newton Chute. Local landmarks such as the Alma Area Sch and Mill Creek Cem provide essential anchor points for genealogical research.