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1965 Map of Ely

Name: 1965 Topographic Map of Ely
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1986
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1986

About this map

Ely serves as the gateway to the iron range and northern wilderness in the mid-1960s, a period when its industrial and educational infrastructure remained firmly intact. The town layout is densely packed with civic landmarks, including City Hall, the Post Office, and a complex of schools ranging from the Lincoln School to the Junior College. To the north, the Pioneer Mine and various Gravel Pits signify the region's extraction history, while the Duluth Missabe and Iron Range railroad connects these resources to the broader state economy.

Water dominates the landscape outside the settlements, with Shagawa Lake and Fall Lake framing the village of Winton. The transition from town to wilderness is marked by the presence of the Superior National Forest and Bear Island State Forest, which surround smaller outposts like Silver Rapids. Notable for local historians, the map identifies specific rural landmarks such as the Section Thirty School and the Ely Cemetery, providing a detailed look at the social and industrial geography of the Vermilion Range.