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2019 Map of Custer

Name: 2019 Topographic Map of Custer
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 2019
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 2019

About this map

Custer serves as the primary hub in this portion of Mason County, situated just north of the Pere Marquette Wild and Scenic River. This waterway and its tributary, the Big South Branch Pere Marquette River, define the southern landscape as they meander through the Manistee National Forest. The map reveals a dense network of glacial lakes and wetlands, including Bailey Lake and McKinzie Lake in the north and a cluster including Saunders Lake, Whelan Lake, and Rathburn Lake further south.

Genealogists will find several burial grounds such as Riverside Cem, Emmanuel Lutheran Cem, and Lakeside Cem, which anchor the local history of these rural townships. The presence of Thorn Airport and the small settlement at Saunders indicate the slow evolution of transport and community centers outside the main village. Extensive drainage systems like Frog Paradise Drain suggest a landscape heavily managed for agriculture and forestry amidst the protected federal lands.