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1983 Map of Empire

Name: 1983 Topographic Map of Empire
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1984
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1984

About this map

Empire serves as the central hub of this coastal survey, situated on the shores of Lake Michigan between the high ridges of Empire Bluffs and the shifting sands of the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore. The landscape is a mosaic of natural landmarks like The Sleeping Bear and Old Baldy Dune alongside local community markers including Maple Grove Cem and First Ch. Transport and infrastructure in the early 1980s are represented by the Empire Airport and a network of rural routes such as Stocking Road and Norconk Road.

Transitioning southward from the dunes, the terrain moves into the Pere Marquette State Forest and the wetland environment around Otter Creek. The map documents the boundary between Leelanau and Benzie counties, providing a detailed look at the interface between the protected lakeshore and the surrounding township lands. Small water bodies like North Bar Lake and South Bar Lake punctuate the coastline, illustrating the unique hydrology of this glacial shoreline.