1947 Map of Exeland

About this map

Exeland serves as the primary hub for this timber and river country at the border of Sawyer and Rusk counties. The landscape is deeply defined by its drainage basins, dominated by the Chippewa River and its major tributaries like the Brunet River and Thornapple River. While the terrain is dotted with numerous small lakes such as Windfall Lake and Miller Lake, the human footprint is characterized by a dense network of country school districts. Institutions like Bellisle Falls School, Riverside School, and Dairy Center School reflect a period of decentralized rural education before school consolidation. These schools, alongside landmarks like Brunet Methodist Church and the Exeland Cemetery, provide a precise record of the communities that settled this glacial landscape, showing a pattern of small farmsteads and isolated settlements connected by early state and county highway systems.