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1952 Map of Pengilly

Name: 1952 Topographic Map of Pengilly
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1954
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1954

About this map

Industrial iron mining and vast glacial lakes define this 1952 landscape in the Mesabi Range. The northern portion of the map is dominated by the massive open-pit operations of the Halobe Mine, Hawkins Mine, and Patrick Mine, accompanied by extensive tailings ponds and protective levees. These industrial sites are flanked by the residential hubs of Nashwauk, Cooley, and Pengilly, where the Cooley Post Office served as a local anchor. The Duluth Missabe and Iron Range railroad snakes through the terrain, providing the essential transport link for the ore extracted from the earth.

South of the heavy industry, the character of the land shifts toward the expansive waters of Swan Lake and the winding Swan River. This area transitions into the more natural environments of Greenway and Lone Pine, where smaller water bodies like Pickeral Lake and Snowball Lake are interspersed with low-lying wetlands. The contrast between the engineered excavations of the mining district and the untouched shoreline of Hart Lake illustrates the intense resource extraction occurring alongside the region's traditional hydrology.