1975 Map of Petoskey SW

About this map

Petoskey anchors the northern edge of this 1975 orthophoto quadrangle, where the street grid of the city meets the southern shore of Little Traverse Bay. The photographic imagery provides a stark, overhead view of the mid-1970s landscape, contrasting the dense urban development of the lakeside city with the agricultural and forested terrain that stretches toward the south. The southern portion of the map is dominated by the sprawling, irregular fingers of Walloon Lake, a glacial water body that has long been a focal point for recreation and settlement in the region. By examining the photographic textures, researchers can identify the specific patterns of land use and shoreline development as they existed prior to late-twentieth-century expansions. The interplay of high-ground clearings and wooded valleys reveals the complex geography that defines this portion of the northern Lower Peninsula.