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1952 Map of Riley

Name: 1952 Topographic Map of Riley
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1954
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1954

About this map

Industrial transport and forestry define this northern Minnesota landscape in the early 1950s. The Great Northern and Duluth Missabe and Iron Range railroads cross the northern sections, facilitating the region's resource extraction economy alongside local infrastructure like the Pumping Station and several Gravel Pit operations. The small settlement of Riley sits at a critical junction of these rail lines and roadways, serving as a focal point for the surrounding rural area.

Civic life is anchored by the Maple Hill Sch and a Town Hall, indicating a structured community even as much of the territory remains under the jurisdiction of the Stuntz Forest Boundary and the expansive Floodwood Memorial Forest. Water features such as Harriett Lake, Little Harriett Lake, and the winding West Swan River break up the wooded terrain, while a legacy of past transit is preserved in the form of a Railroad Grade cutting through the western marshes.