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1949 Map of Commonwealth

Name: 1949 Topographic Map of Commonwealth
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1949
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1949

About this map

The Menominee River and Brule River define the boundary between Florence County, Wisconsin, and Iron County, Michigan, in this late 1940s topographic survey. This landscape is a complex network of glacial lakes and managed waterways, dominated by the massive Peavy Pond and the Paint River Pond to the west. The hydroelectric infrastructure of the era is anchored by the Brule Island Dam at Brule Island, a significant industrial landmark for researchers of local utilities and river management.

Upland areas are largely encompassed by the Iron Range State Forest, indicating the timber and conservation priorities of the post-war period. Local history interests are focused on the South Mastodon Sch, one of the few named civic structures in this sparsely populated region. Smaller water bodies like Gages Lake, Lost Lake, and Jan Lake dot the eastern terrain, providing a look at the natural hydrology before extensive modern development.