1898 Map of Iron River

About this map

The early iron-mining landscapes of the Upper Peninsula take shape in this late 19th-century survey. The settlements of Iron River and Stambaugh sit at the center of a developing transport network, where the Chicago and Northwestern R. R. extends its tracks to reach timber and ore. This era was defined by the rapid expansion of these industrial corridors, notably the Atkinson Branch leading northwest to Atkinson. Beyond the developing towns, the terrain is defined by a dense network of glacial water bodies, including the large Chicagon Lake in the southeast and Iron Lake near the center. The Paint River and Brule River serve as natural markers, the latter tracing the Michigan-Wisconsin boundary. This documentation by Robert Muldrow captures the transition from wilderness to an extraction-based economy, noting small outposts like Hazle and Saunders before the height of 20th-century development.