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1952 Map of Pengilly

Name: 1952 Topographic Map of Pengilly
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1973
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1973

About this map

Iron ore extraction dominates the northern landscape of this survey, where a dense concentration of open pits and tailings ponds marks the Mesabi Range’s industrial footprint. Large-scale operations like the Patrick Mine, Hawkins Mine, and Snyder Mine are interconnected by the Burlington Northern and Duluth Missabe and Iron Range railroads, which weave through the corporate limits of Nashwauk and the Cooley Village Boundary. In contrast to the industrial north, the southern portion of the map transitions into the lakelands of Swan Lake and Hart Lake, revealing the natural hydrography of the Swan River watershed.

Local settlements are tightly integrated with the mining economy, as seen in the layout of Cooley and Pengilly. The map captures a specific moment when the Cooley Post Office and local recreations like the Golf Course and Roadside Park Jurgenson served these mining communities. The presence of numerous named pits, such as the Sullivan Mine and Langdon Mine, alongside extensive tailings piles, provides a detailed record of mid-century land use and Minnesota’s mining heritage.