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1951 Map of Mc Kinley

Name: 1951 Topographic Map of Mc Kinley
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1951
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1951

About this map

Missabe Mountain dominates the landscape of the Mesabi Range in the early 1950s, a period defined by the intensive extraction of iron ore. The map reveals the industrial footprint of the era through extensive Mine Dumps and active operations like the Corsica Mine. Settlements are tightly clustered around these industrial centers, with McKinley, Elcor, and Biwabik serving as primary hubs connected by the Duluth Missabe and Iron Range railroad.

North of the industrial zone, the terrain shifts into the Superior National Forest, where the Pike River winds through wetlands and lakes such as Hay Lake. Local heritage is anchored by landmarks like the Florenton Cem and the Town Hall in Florenton, while the Lookout Tower atop Pike Mountain provides a vantage point over the transition from protected forest to the heavily engineered mining landscape to the south.