1952 Map of Gwinn

About this map

Iron ore extraction and the Chicago and North Western rail network define this interior section of the Upper Peninsula in the early 1950s. The landscape is dotted with inactive mining operations that once drove the local economy, including the Stephenson Mine, Francis Mine, and multiple shafts near Princeton and Austin. In the southern reaches, the company-built town of Gwinn serves as a hub for the surrounding settlements like New Swanzey and Swanzy. Northward, the terrain transitions toward the shoreline of Lake Superior at Harvey, where the Chocolay River meets the lake. Local infrastructure of the era is preserved in detail, from the Fish Hatchery near Beaver Grove to the early footprint of Sawyer Airport, illustrating the region's post-mining shift toward transportation and conservation.