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1951 Map of Babbitt

Name: 1951 Topographic Map of Babbitt
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1953
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1953

About this map

Reserve Mining Company operations and industrial growth define this 1951 snapshot of the Iron Range. The map captures a pivotal moment for the community of Babbitt, showing the original townsite as a Town Under Construction north of its current location, adjacent to Hay Lake. This era marked a significant expansion of the taconite industry, evidenced by the extensive rail infrastructure of the Duluth Missabe and Iron Range Railroad Company and new tracks labeled as Under Construction snaking toward the mining facilities.

Dense woodland of the Superior National Forest surrounds these industrial developments, with the irregular shoreline of Birch Lake dominating the northern half of the sheet. Local landmarks like Camp Rivard, Aikio Island, and the drainage of the Partridge River illustrate the natural landscape before it was further altered by mid-century mining expansion. The presence of a Divide and the State Forest Bdy delineate the complex management of this resource-rich territory.