1945 Map of Three Lakes

About this map

Glacial lakes and dense forests dominate this mid-century landscape of northern Wisconsin, where the town of Three Lakes serves as a vital hub for the region's burgeoning recreational and timber economies. The Chicago and Northwestern Railways cuts a north-south line through the terrain, connecting the settlement to Eagle River and providing a lifeline for remote outposts. Significant tracts of the Northern Highland State Forest appear in the northern sections, signaling the importance of state-managed conservation. A dense network of waterways, including Cranberry Lake, Catfish Lake, and the winding Deerskin River, illustrates the complex hydrologic system that defined local transportation and settlement patterns. Rural education is marked by the presence of local schoolhouses like Evergreen Sch, Sanborn Sch, and Mayo Sch, reflecting the distributed nature of the community before later school consolidation changed the social geography of the Northwoods.