1960 Map of Long Island Lake

About this map

The Superior National Forest and Minnesota State Forest converge in this 1960 study of the Boundary Waters wilderness. This landscape is defined by its complex waterway network, tracing the international border between United States and Canada along Gunflint Lake and Magnetic Lake. The map reveals the infrastructure of forest management during the mid-century era, specifically the Gunflint Lookout Tower and a Forest Service Guard Station located near the northern reaches of Larch Creek. Beyond the timber and water, the map documents early transit and industry through the legendary Gunflint Trail, the Rib Lake Trail, and an isolated Mine near Mine Lake. This quadrangle captures the transition from a resource-extraction frontier to a protected wilderness area, preserving the names of dozens of interior lakes from Tuscarora Lake to Snipe Lake.