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1985 Map of Rochester

Name: 1985 Topographic Map of Rochester
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1985
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1985

About this map

Rochester stands as the central hub of this 1985 survey, surrounded by the sprawling Richard J Dorer Memorial Hardwood State Forest and a landscape defined by the intricate branching of the Zumbro River. The map captures the city’s mid-1980s expansion, featuring Rochester Community College and Olmsted Community Hospital amidst a network of regional settlements like Kasson and Zumbrota. Along the eastern edge, the Mississippi River widens into Lake Pepin, where the Milwaukee St Paul and Pacific rail line skirts the shoreline through Wabasha and Reads Landing.

The complex hydrography of the region is evident in the confluence of the North, Middle, and South Forks of the Zumbro River, which feed into Zumbro Lake. This transition from the agricultural plateaus of Dodge and Olmsted Counties to the river bluffs near Coffee Mill Bluff illustrates the diverse topography of southeastern Minnesota. Researchers can trace the legacy of rail transport via the Chicago and North Western lines connecting agricultural centers like Dodge Center and Plainview.