1951 Map of Payment

About this map

The international border between the United States and Canada bisects this mid-century survey, following the waters of the Saint Marys River and the Old Channel. On the Michigan side, the northern reaches of Sugar Island contain small clusters of homes at Payment and Mc Farland, alongside the Holy Angel Ch. Across the water in Ontario, the Canadian Pacific railroad tracks hug the shoreline, serving the Garden River settlement and the Garden River Indian Reserve. The landscape is a complex network of wetlands and small lakes like Mabel Lake and Surette Lake, which drain toward the wide expanse of Little Lake George. This map captures a specific moment in the maritime geography of the St. Marys system, detailing numerous navigation aids such as a Bell Point pylon, various cribs, and a submerged stake in the shipping channels.