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1946 Map of South Range

Name: 1946 Topographic Map of South Range
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1976
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1976

About this map

South Range and the surrounding Copper Country settlements are captured here in a transition period between their industrial peak and modern revitalization. The landscape is defined by the legacy of the Copper Range Railroad, seen through the Old Railroad Grade and active paths that once served the heavy mining operations at Champion Mine and Globe Mine. Dense settlement clusters at Painesdale and Trimountain reflect the organized company-town planning typical of the Keweenaw Peninsula, while the Mountain View Cem serves as a silent record of the families who settled this upland terrain.

Water plays a central role in the topography, with the Salmon Trout River and Little Otter River draining the high ground toward the Great Lakes. Inland bodies like Lake Perrault and Elevenmile Lake provide a counterpoint to the industrial grid of the mining towns. The map also highlights smaller junctions such as Mill Mine Junction and Obenhoff, illustrating how the rail-and-road network connected these remote communities to the larger regional economy.