1916 Map of St. Francis

About this map

The Rum River meanders through the heart of this landscape, its winding course defining the transition from the sandy flats to the glaciated hills of the Saint Francis area during the early twentieth century. This survey, completed in 1916, reveals a rural network of small agricultural settlements and one-room schoolhouses like the Breezy Point School and Walker School. To the east, the Great Northern railroad provides a vital industrial link, passing through Bethel and near the community of Cedar. The numerous lakes, such as Lake George and Blue Lake, are interspersed with sprawling marshlands and small family-named landmarks like Mitchell Corners. The map provides a detailed view of the township boundaries for Oak Grove, Burns, and Stanford, documenting the early civic structure of the Isanti and Anoka county line before the modern suburban expansion of the Twin Cities reached this far north.