1976 Map of Bar Lake SE

About this map

Manistee and the surrounding coastal corridor of northwest Michigan are shown in this mid-1970s orthophotograph, captured just before major shifts in the region's industrial landscape. The aerial perspective reveals the complex waterway system where the Manistee River empties into Manistee Lake before reaching the vast expanse of Lake Michigan. To the north, the small settlement of Parkdale and the inland waters of Bar Lake sit along the shoreline, providing a clear view of how residential and agricultural patterns developed between the dunes and the interior woods. The map highlights the strategic positioning of these communities, including the northern edge of Portage Lake, during an era when the local economy remained closely tied to the timber and shipping industries that built the lakefront towns of Manistee County.