1972 Map of Townsend

About this map

Townsend and Lakewood serve as the primary human anchors in this 1970s landscape, which is heavily defined by the dense woodlands of the Nicolet National Forest. The Chicago and North Western railroad provides the industrial spine of the region, cutting a path through the timber toward the northern border. This era shows a complex hydrologic network, with the sprawling Townsend Flowage and numerous named water bodies like Archibald Lake and Pickerel Lake shaping the local geography. Local history is evidenced at Forest Home Cem and the Lakewood State Fish Hatchery. The presence of the Archibald Lookout Tower and nearby Archibald Tower Springs highlights the fire-prevention infrastructure essential to this forested district in the Oconto County highlands. The map provides a look at the relationship between recreation, conservation, and resource extraction, with scattered Gravel Pits and public access points along the North Branch Oconto River.