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1953 Map of Houghton

Name: 1953 Topographic Map of Houghton
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1955
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1955

About this map

The James River valley in Brown County defines this landscape, dominated by the sprawling Sand Lake National Wildlife Refuge. Established to protect migratory waterfowl, the refuge encompasses a complex network of wetlands including Mud Lake, Sand Lake, and the Greenfield Reservoir. These water bodies are flanked by the townships of Liberty, Portage, Lansing, and Shelby, which reflect the region's agricultural grid system.

The village of Houghton sits as a primary rail point along the Chicago and North Western line, which cuts vertically through the eastern half of the map. Local civic life is evidenced by the Town Hall in Lansing and rural schoolhouses such as Walker Sch and Fangon Sch. Unusual hydrological features like the Flowing Well point to the subterranean artesian resources that supported these prairie settlements during the mid-20th century.