1955 Map of Cheboygan

About this map

Beaver Island and its remote settlement of St James anchor the western waters of this mid-century maritime landscape, where the northern Lower Peninsula meets the Upper Peninsula at the Straits of Mackinac. The region's transition from a timber-based economy to a recreation and transport hub is evident in the sprawling boundaries of the Pigeon River State Forest and Mackinac State Forest. Major inland waterways like Burt Lake and Mullett Lake are shown alongside the early infrastructure of the Penn Central and Detroit & Mackinac RR rail lines. From the coastal ports of Petoskey and Cheboygan to the isolated shores of North Manitou Island, the map captures the extensive network of state forests and the complex shoreline of Lake Michigan and Lake Huron before modern highway expansions fully reshaped the interior.