1955 Map of Gull Island

About this map

Gull Island and its surrounding waters dominate this mid-century hydrographic study of a remote reach within St James Twp. The map provides a detailed look at the island's isolation in Lake Michigan, marked only by a solitary Light on the northern shore and the small landform of South Gull to the south. The surrounding bathymetry reveals the treacherous underwater landscape that defined maritime navigation in this era, specifically the expansive Gull Island Reef and the isolated Boulder Reef to the southwest. This survey, compiled from aerial photography and lake charts, serves as a precise record of these natural hazards and the limited human footprint on these northern Michigan outposts before modern satellite navigation reshaped Great Lakes travel.