1954 Map of Barrs Lake

About this map

The Cloquet Valley State Forest dominates this mid-century landscape in St. Louis County, where the upper reaches of the Cloquet River and the Sucker River drain a terrain dense with glacial lakes and wetlands. The map documents a period of shifting rural infrastructure, most notably evidenced by the presence of School No 27 (Abandoned) in the northwest corner near the river. This specific detail provides a direct link to the region's earlier homesteading history and the consolidation of rural school districts. Small, named bodies of water like Lieuna Lake, Barrs Lake, and the twin Paradise Lake and Hart Lake are scattered across the townships of Alden, Normanna, and Duluth. The drainage patterns of Brophy Creek and numerous smaller basins suggest a quiet, forested wilderness largely shaped by water and timber.