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1955 Map of Ralph NE

Name: 1955 Topographic Map of Ralph NE
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1956
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1956

About this map

Hydrological networks and dense woodland define this mid-century survey of the Upper Peninsula, where the Michigan State Forest and Felch Mountain State Forest meet at the border of Marquette and Dickinson counties. The landscape is a complex system of drainage, marked by the winding paths of the West Branch Escanaba River and the North Branch Ford River. High ground is evidenced by the Escanaba River Lookout Tower, a critical point for fire management in these vast timberlands.

Human activity is sparse and primarily utilitarian, centered on the Willit Run Landing Field in the southern portion of the sheet. Numerous small bodies of water, including Horseshoe Lake, O'Neil Lake, and the aptly named Little Mud Lake, are connected by a web of minor tributaries like McGregor Creek and Schwartz Creek. This map illustrates the intersection of industrial forest management and the natural water systems that dictate the geography of the central Upper Peninsula.