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1951 Map of Gilbert

Name: 1951 Topographic Map of Gilbert
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1965
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1965

About this map

The Missabe Range dominates this mid-century landscape, where the intensive extraction of iron ore shaped the geography of St. Louis County. Massive excavation sites like the Gilbert Mine, Schley Mine, and Genoa Mine are surrounded by extensive mine dumps, illustrating the scale of industrial operations in the early 1950s. The settlement of Sparta is positioned directly adjacent to these workings, while the city of Gilbert serves as a central hub for the region.

Logistics and labor are central to the terrain, evidenced by the Duluth Missabe and Iron Range railroad and the Eveleth Municipal Airport. To the south, the industrial landscape transitions into a sprawling State Game Refuge within Fayal Township. This southern half of the quadrangle is defined by the winding St Louis River and numerous water bodies, including the large Ely Lake and Pleasant Lake, providing a clear contrast between the concentrated mining activity to the north and the expansive wetlands and forests below.