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1955 Map of Ironwood

Name: 1955 Topographic Map of Ironwood
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1973
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1973

About this map

The iron mining legacy of the Gogebic Range is strikingly evident along the border of Michigan and Wisconsin. The Twin Cities of Ironwood and Hurley serve as the central hub, bisected by the Montreal River. Industrial activity is marked by the Cary Mine and numerous unnamed mine dumps and sunken areas that speak to the subsurface extraction defining this era. The massive Gile Flowage Reservoir dominates the southwest, providing a stark contrast to the dense network of neighborhoods like Jessieville, Aurora, and Norrie.

Social and civic life is anchored by local institutions such as Murphy High Sch, Central Sch, and the Finnish Ch. Infrastructure is shaped by the presence of the Chicago and North Western and the Minneapolis St Paul and Sault Ste Marie railroads, which facilitated the movement of ore. From the heights of Mt Zion to the southern reaches of the Ottawa National Forest near Van Buskirk, the landscape reflects a mid-century balance of heavy industry and northern woods.