1982 Map of Silver Bay

About this map

Lake Superior shorelines define this 1980s landscape, where the industrial infrastructure of Silver Bay meets the managed wilderness of the North Shore. The map documents a significant era of taconite processing and transportation, centered on a massive Industrial Plant and an extensive network of Tailings Ponds connected by a dedicated Mining Railroad. These industrial footprints stand in sharp contrast to the established settlements at Beaver Bay and East Beaver Bay, which sit near the mouth of the Beaver River.