1941 Map of Florence

About this map

Florence serves as the primary hub of this Northwoods landscape, situated near the border where the Brule River separates Wisconsin from Michigan. The settlement pattern in 1941 reveals a network of rural schools, including Harding Sch, Bluebird Sch, and Prairie Sch, which supported the remote homesteads of the era. Transportation is defined by the Chicago and Northwestern railroad and a developing system of state and trunk highways that replaced earlier logging trails. The terrain is defined by its water, with dozens of named basins like Emily Lake, Patten Lake, and Keys Lake punctuating the dense Woods. Fire prevention infrastructure is visible through the Rainbow Firetower and Bass Lake Fire Tower, reflecting the vital importance of timber management in this region before the mid-century.