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1960 Map of Cherokee Lake

Name: 1960 Topographic Map of Cherokee Lake
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1965
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1965

About this map

Cherokee Lake dominates this 1960s survey of the northern Minnesota wilderness, sitting at the heart of a complex hydrologic network within the Superior National Forest. This region, surveyed before the modern era of wilderness management, showcases an intricate system of portages and water routes connecting South Temperance Lake, Brule Lake, and Kelly Lake. The drainage patterns are clearly defined by the Temperance River and Vern River, illustrating the natural flow through this glacial landscape.

Boundary lines for the Minnesota State Forest and various townships, such as the line between T. 64 N. and T. 63 N., provide the only human-imposed structure on an otherwise wild terrain. Local nomenclature is reflected in features like Tobacco Lake, Pipe Creek, and Stem Lake, suggesting a naming theme used by early surveyors or travelers through these woods. The presence of numerous smaller bodies of water like Unload Lake and Cleft Lake highlights the density of the lake country at the dawn of the 1960s.