1973 Map of The Pines

About this map

Pine Island State Forest and the Red Lake Indian Reservation define this landscape along the border of Lake of the Woods and Koochiching counties. Created as an orthophotomat using 1969 aerial photography, the map reveals a vast wetland and forest complex where the natural vegetation patterns are clearly visible beneath topographic contours. The absence of modern development is striking, with the primary means of traversal being a long, winding Winter Trail that snakes through the northwestern sections. This document captures the wilderness of northern Minnesota before extensive modern forest management altered the terrain, preserving the mid-century layout of these protected lands and the specific jurisdictional boundaries of the Red Lake Ind Res.