1967 Map of Paynesville

About this map

The Crow River North Fork and Sauk River define the drainage of this Stearns County landscape, where the town of Paynesville serves as a local hub. In the late 1960s, the area remained a busy junction of rail and road, with the Soo Line and Great Northern railroads crossing the terrain near numerous small-scale industrial Gravel Pits. This era shows a community in transition, maintaining rural fixtures like School No 1948 and Salem Ch while developing modern infrastructure such as the Paynesville Airport and Sewage Disposal Ponds. The eastern portion of the map is dominated by the marshy fringes of Eden Lake and Rice Lake, while the central township of Zion contains a significant National Wildlife Management Area. For genealogists, the map preserves specific local landmarks including Zion Cem and several numbered schoolhouses that served the surrounding agricultural sections.