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1953 Map of Independence

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

USGS Topo · Published 1955

About this map

The Cloquet River winds through the heart of this 1953 landscape in St. Louis County, marking a terrain defined by glacial lakes and timber management. The settlement of Independence serves as a focal point in the northwest, situated near the Independence Cem and a Lookout Tower that speaks to the area's forest fire prevention history. Much of the eastern portion of the map is dominated by the Cloquet Valley State Forest, where the river broadens at Third Lake.

Transportation patterns reflect a mix of active industry and legacy routes, with the D M & I R railroad cutting through the center while an Old Railroad Grade suggests earlier logging or mining access. Further south, the map details the recreation and community life around Grand Lake, including the Harnell Park residential area and religious sites like Twig Chapel and St Johns Cem near Sunset Lake.