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1954 Map of Tawas City

Name: 1954 Topographic Map of Tawas City
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1968
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1968

About this map

The Au Sable River cuts a prominent path through the Huron National Forest, its course interrupted by a series of hydroelectric structures including Loud Dam, Five Channels Dam, Cooke Dam, and Foote Dam. This network of dams and reservoirs represents the industrial harness of the river's descent toward Au Sable and Oscoda. Along the Lake Huron coastline, the presence of the Wurtsmith AFB and the nearby Wurtsmith Air Force Range indicates the region's mid-century strategic importance.

Further south, the shoreline economy is defined by the strip mine at Alabaster and the maritime infrastructure supporting Tawas Bay, which includes a Coast Guard Station at Tawas Point. Local heritage is marked by the Lumbermens Memorial Monument, nodding to the timber history of the interior forests. The transit of the Detroit and Mackinac railroad connects these coastal ports to inland settlements like Mikado and Harrisville, bridging the gap between the lake and the high points of Bruce Hill and the Kelly Hills.