Loading map...

1956 Map of Three Lakes

Name: 1956 Topographic Map of Three Lakes
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1980
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1980

About this map

Baraga State Forest dominates this section of the Upper Peninsula, where a dense network of glacial lakes and wetlands defines the landscape of the Spurr and Covington townships. The mid-century corridor of the Duluth South Shore and Atlantic railroad cuts through the center of the sheet, connecting the settlement at Three Lakes to Imperial Heights. This rail line and the parallel highway served as the primary industrial arteries for a region defined by timber and mineral extraction, evidenced by the Ohio Mine and an unnamed mine near Bass Lake.

From the Three Lakes Lookout Tower, the terrain drops toward significant water bodies including Beaufort Lake, George Lake, and Craig Lake. Smaller, uniquely named features like Pea Soup Lake and Petticoat Lake are scattered throughout the forest, while the Spruce River drains the southeastern reaches of the quadrangle. The map captures a moment when resource extraction and early recreation intersected in the Michigan backcountry.