1948 Map of Deer Lake

About this map

Lake Superior dominates the southeastern shoreline of this Keweenaw Peninsula terrain, where the Big Betsy River and Winters Creek drain into Betsy Bay. The 1948 field check captures a wilderness in transition, most notably evidenced by a coastal road marked as Under Construction winding toward Black Rock Point. Near the river mouth, the Betsy River School stands as a lonely marker of local settlement. Further inland, the map details a landscape of interconnected water bodies, including Deer Lake, Lake Gratiot, and a portion of Lac La Belle to the north. Much of the interior is defined by the Little Gratiot River as it meanders through the township of Grant, providing a look at the drainage patterns and topography of this remote section of Michigan's Copper Country before modern development altered the woodland character.