1953 Map of Rice Lake

About this map

Rice Lake and the river-fed settlements of Northwest Wisconsin define this landscape in the mid-1950s. The map illustrates the convergence of water and industry, with the Chippewa River and Flambeau River cutting through extensive timberlands and the Chequamegon National Forest. The regional economy is anchored by the Soo Line and Chicago and North Western railroads, which connected mill towns like Ladysmith and Cornell to wider markets. North of the developed agricultural lands around Bloomer and Chetek, the terrain shifts toward the dense woods of the Lac Courte Oreilles Indian Reservation and the sprawling Flambeau River State Forest. This survey captures the region just before significant modern highway expansion, showing the primary routes of Us 53 and Wis 64 as they served these lakeside and riverfront communities.