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1917 Map of Pelican Rapids

Name: 1917 Topographic Map of Pelican Rapids
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1925
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1925

About this map

Pelican Rapids serves as the primary hub for this portion of Otter Tail County during the 1910s, situated where the Northern Pacific railroad meets the winding Pelican River. The landscape is a complex glacial network of water bodies, including the massive Pelican Lake, Lake Lida, and Lake Lizzie. Rural life is meticulously documented through numbered school districts and named community centers such as Grove Lake School and Rollag School.

Genealogists will find significant value in the distribution of early cemeteries and churches, such as Bangor Cemetery and the South Emmanuel Church, which anchored the pioneer townships of Norwegian Grove and Erhards Grove. The emergence of the region as a recreational destination is signaled by the presence of Dunns Resort on the shores of Pelican Lake and Oak Lodge near Lake Lida, reflecting the early 20th-century growth of Minnesota's lake country.