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1959 Map of Saint Paul

Name: 1959 Topographic Map of Saint Paul
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1959
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1959

About this map

The Mississippi River and Minnesota River confluence anchors this mid-century portrait of the Twin Cities and the southeastern Minnesota corridor. At this time, the suburban growth of St Louis Park, Richfield, and Bloomington is clearly defined, while aviation infrastructure like Wold-Chamberlain Field and the U S Naval Air Station mark the era's regional importance. The landscape transitions from the urban density of Saint Paul and Minneapolis into the fertile river valleys and agricultural lands of Dakota and Rice Counties.

To the southeast, the widening of the river into Lake Pepin dominates the border with Wisconsin, surrounded by high bluffs and river towns like Red Wing and Wabasha. Large-scale research and natural preservation are represented by the Univ Of Minn Rosemount Research Center and Nerstrand Woods State Park. This period shows the established dominance of the Chicago and North Western and other major rail lines that integrated these milling and transit centers with the wider Midwestern economy.