Loading map...

1957 Map of Empire

Name: 1957 Topographic Map of Empire
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1969
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1969

About this map

Sleeping Bear Dunes State Park and D H Day State Park anchor this coastal landscape along the shores of Lake Michigan in the mid-1950s. The map illustrates a region defined by dramatic glacial features like Sleeping Bear Point, Devils Hole, and the Empire Bluffs. Inland from the massive dunes, the hydrology is shaped by Glen Lake and smaller basins such as North Bar Lake and South Bar Lake.

A notable Cold War military presence is visible at the Empire Air Force Station and the adjacent Empire Landing Field, positioned just south of the village of Empire. Local history is preserved in the location of the Maple Grove Cem near Glen Arbor and the Platte Cem in the southern forest lands. The map also records the transition from the Fife Lake State Forest across the Leelanau Co Benzie Co line, showing the early infrastructure of this maritime and recreation-focused corridor.