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1956 Map of Iron Belt

Name: 1956 Topographic Map of Iron Belt
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1957
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1957

About this map

The northern Wisconsin mining and timber landscape comes into sharp focus during the mid-1950s, centered on the historic iron mining community of Iron Belt. The map illustrates a dense network of transportation and industry, with the Chicago and North Western and Minneapolis St Paul and Sault Ste Marie railroads threading through the towns of Montreal, Pence, and Kimball. These rail lines follow the contours of the terrain, connecting the localized mining operations to broader regional markets.

Water plays a critical role in the geography of the Gogebic Range, seen here through the Gile Flowage and the winding course of the West Fork Montreal River. For genealogists and local historians, the placement of the Hillside Cem and various municipal structures like the Water Tower provide specific points of reference for the mid-century footprint of these settlements. The transition from industrial corridors to the wilder drainage basins of Fourche Creek and East Fork Gile River reveals the complex balance of resource extraction and natural water systems in Iron County.