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1986 Map of Brainerd

Name: 1986 Topographic Map of Brainerd
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1986
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1986

About this map

The Mississippi River and Crow Wing River converge in this central Minnesota region, defining a landscape of glacial lakes and extensive public lands as they appeared in the mid-1980s. The city of Brainerd serves as the regional hub, situated near the Brainerd State Hospital and the sprawling Camp Ripley Military Reservation. To the west, the Burlington Northern railroad corridor anchors a string of prairie settlements including Staples, Motley, and Verndale.

Heavy forestation is evident in the Pillsbury State Forest and numerous wildlife management areas like Lawrence State Wildlife Management Area. Large water bodies such as Gull Lake, Round Lake, and North Long Lake dominate the northern portion of the map, while the southern reaches transition into more agricultural township divisions. The map provides a look at the infrastructure of the era, from the Municipal Airport near Baxter to the network of local roads serving remote townships like Scandia Valley and Rail Prairie.