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1952 Map of Spirit Falls

Name: 1952 Topographic Map of Spirit Falls
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1952
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1952

About this map

Spirit Falls serves as a focal point for this landscape of northern Wisconsin, where the Wisconsin River carves through the eastern terrain to power industrial infrastructure like the Grandfather Dam and the Grandfather Falls Power Plant. The interior is characterized by a network of logging and resource extraction history, evidenced by the numerous camps such as Natzke Camp, Camp 25, and Camp 27. Evidence of the region's evolving infrastructure is visible in the Old Railroad Grade and the presence of several isolated schoolhouses, including the Mitchell Sch and the Grandmother Sch.

The hydro-social landscape is further defined by the Spirit River Flowage and Lake Mohawksin. Cultural shifts in the mid-century are reflected in the labeling of the Gladfelter Sch (Abandoned) and Bay Mill Sch (Abandoned), marking a period of transition for rural communities. The map also traces an extensive system of fire lanes and creek networks, such as New Wood Creek and Squaw Creek, which supported both the timber industry and forest management in the townships of Somo, Tomahawk, and Harding.