1963 Map of Picket Lake

About this map

Vermilion River dominates this north-woods landscape, winding through a complex network of wetlands and dense forest where the Superior National Forest meets the Kabetogama State Forest. This mid-century survey, updated in the 1980s, captures a wilderness area defined by its hydrology rather than its infrastructure. Deep in St. Louis County, the map details numerous named water bodies including Picket Lake, Mankus Lake, and Finstad Lake, many connected by a web of drainages like Picket Creek and Finstad Creek. Beyond the water, the terrain is marked by few human interventions, notably a single Gravel Pit and scattered benchmarks like BM 1296. The presence of various Rapids along the river illustrates the unchanged nature of these northern waterways, providing a baseline for environmental historians and those tracing the boundaries of Minnesota's vast public forest lands.