1945 Map of Solon Springs

About this map

Upper St. Croix Lake serves as a central hydrological hub for this Douglas County region, where the St Croix River begins its southward course through the St Croix Flowage. In the mid-1940s, the landscape was a mosaic of dense woodlands and wetland systems like the Merriam Swamp, connected by the Minneapolis St Paul and Sault Ste Marie Railroad and the Chicago and North Western Railroad. These rail lines supported settlements such as Solon Springs, Bennett, and Sauntry, which appear alongside cultural markers like the Sieur du Lhut Monument near the Old Portage Tr. Local education and community life are evident through numerous rural schools, including Ibsen Sch, Washington Sch, and Roosevelt Sch, as well as the Emmanuel Ch. The northeastern corner is defined by the Brule River State Forest, preserving the wild character of the Brule River and its tributaries during this post-war era.