Loading map...

1985 Map of Big Prairie

Name: 1985 Topographic Map of Big Prairie
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1985
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1985

About this map

Manistee National Forest covers much of this Newaygo County landscape, where the sandy soils of the Michigan high plains meet complex wetland systems. The small settlement of Big Prairie sits near the southern edge of the sheet, while Trumbull Corners marks an intersection further north. The map is defined by its diverse water features, including the broad Hardy Dam Pond and interior waters like Eaves Lake and Fry Lake.

Industry and land use are visible through several Gravel Pits and a designated Gas Field in the northern portion of the quadrangle. Significant marshlands such as Harness Marsh and Gustafson Marsh demonstrate the low-lying hydrology that characterizes the area between Mullen Creek and Bigelow Creek. Local history is captured in labels for a small Cem and the Old Grade, hinting at the region's former logging or rail transport routes.