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1915 Map of Houghton

Name: 1915 Topographic Map of Houghton
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1917
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1917

About this map

The copper-rich landscape of Michigan's Keweenaw Peninsula is captured here during a period of intensive industrial operation. The towns of Houghton and Hancock serve as the central hubs, connected by a complex web of railroads including the Copper Range RR and the Mineral Range RR. This transportation network supported a string of mining communities that defined the local economy, from Painesdale and Trimountain in the south to the Franklin Junior Mine and Rhode Island Mine to the north.

Along the shores of Portage Lake and the Portage Lake Ship Canal, the map reveals the institutional and social life of the region, noting the Michigan College of Mines and the recreational Electric Park. Further inland, isolated landmarks like the Metti Niemitlo School and settlements such as Oskar and Onnela illustrate the extent of settlement beyond the primary mining corridors, while the presence of the Duluth South Shore and Atlantic RR indicates the area's vital connections to the broader Great Lakes region.