1953 Map of Grand Rapids

About this map

Grand Rapids serves as the industrial and civic anchor of this Itasca County landscape in the early 1950s. The city is deeply tied to the Mississippi River, which feeds the large Paper Mill Reservoir and powers the local economy. Civic life is concentrated around the Courthouse, the Municipal Airport, and several neighborhood institutions like Riverview Sch and Forest Lake Sch. The surrounding terrain is defined by the expansive, irregularly shaped Pokegama Lake, which features numerous named points and islands including Chisholm Point, Drumbeater Island, and Nesbitt Island. Outside the main settlement, the area maintains a rural character with small lakes like Stokey Lake and Munzer Lake dotting the woods. The Great Northern railroad provides the primary overland connection, cutting through the northern portion of the city near Crystal Lake and the local Fairground.