1939 Map of Laona

About this map

The timber and rail economy of Forest County takes center stage in this 1939 survey, centered on the lumber hub of Laona. The town is the most developed settlement on the map, situated between Silver Lake and Scattered Rice Lake. The landscape is defined by the intersection of major rail lines, including the Chicago and Northwestern Railway and the Minneapolis Sault Ste Marie and Atlantic Railway, which served the region's logging industry. Strategic surveillance of the Nicolet National Forest is evident through the Laona Fire Tower and Newald Fire Tower. To the south, a CCC Camp near Blackwell reflects the era's conservation efforts. The Peshtigo River and Rat River wind through the township boundaries, connecting numerous named water bodies like Birch Lake and Lake Gordon.