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1956 Map of Soudan

Name: 1956 Topographic Map of Soudan
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1971
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1971

About this map

The Soudan Mine and the adjacent settlement of Soudan anchor this survey of the Vermilion Range during a period of industrial and recreational transition. The intricate shoreline of Vermilion Lake dominates the northern half of the sheet, featuring numerous named islands such as Timber Island and Ely Island. This landscape reflects the deep-rooted iron mining history of St. Louis County, shown here as the Minnesota and Missabe and Iron Range railroad snakes through the center of the quadrangle to serve the local extractive industries.

South of the mining activity, the map reveals a densely wooded wilderness within the Kugler State Forest and the Superior National Forest. Dozens of smaller glacial water bodies, including Putnam Lake, Skeleton Lake, and Fivemile Lake, are interconnected by waterways like Two River and Queens Creek. Landmark features such as the Lookout Tower on Jasper Peak and the early boundaries of Tower-Soudan State Park highlight the area's emerging role as a destination for conservation and forestry.