1949 Map of Point Isabelle

About this map

Mendota Light House stands as a sentinel at the narrow entrance to the Mendota Canal, a vital maritime passage connecting the sheltered waters of Lac La Belle to the expanse of Bete Grise Bay. This 1940s survey reveals the remote coastal character of Grant township on the Keweenaw Peninsula, where the landscape is defined by the reaching prominence of Point Isabelle. The shoreline topography demonstrates the importance of safe harbor along the Keweenaw's southern coast, with the canal serving as a critical link between inland waters and the depths of Lake Superior. South of the point, the curving reach of Oliver Bay completes a coastal sequence of bays and inlets that historically dictated navigation and settlement patterns in this northern Michigan wilderness.