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1956 Map of Pequaywan Lake

Name: 1956 Topographic Map of Pequaywan Lake
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1980
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1980

About this map

Cloquet Valley State Forest dominates this mid-century landscape in St. Louis County, where a dense network of glacial lakes and river systems defines the topography. The Pequaywan Lake shoreline is the primary geographic focus, joined by dozens of smaller water bodies including Santa Claus Lake, Wigwam Lake, and Holmsey Lake. The Cloquet River and its tributaries, such as the Little Cloquet River and West Branch Cloquet River, meander through the timberland, indicating a region historically shaped by both natural drainage and early water management efforts.

Evidence of human engineering in this remote woodland is visible at Smith Dam along the river south of Pequaywan Lake. The map reveals a transition period where the area remained largely undeveloped forest and marsh, preserved within the state forest boundaries. Local history researchers can trace the old flowage patterns and drainage routes across features like Mud Lake and Bear Lake as they appeared before later residential shifts or recreational development altered the wilderness character.