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1954 Map of Traverse City

Name: 1954 Topographic Map of Traverse City
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1986
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1986

About this map

Lake Michigan dominates the western shoreline of this mid-century landscape, framing the complex geography of the Grand Traverse Bay and its surrounding orchard and forest lands. The region serves as a major recreational and military hub, anchored by the expansive Camp Grayling Military Reservation and the diverse waters of Houghton Lake and Higgins Lake. The map illustrates a transportation network in transition, where major automotive routes like U.S. 31 and U.S. 131 intersect with a legacy rail system including the Pennsylvania RR and Chesapeake & Ohio RR.

Inland, the vast timber heritage of Northern Michigan is evident in the sprawling Fife Lake State Forest and Huron National Forest. Smaller settlements like Interlochen, Elk Rapids, and Roscommon provide context for the area's development before the massive expansion of modern tourism. From the heights of Sleeping Bear Hill to the headwaters of the Au Sable River, the map preserves the mid-century layout of the Lower Peninsula's northern vacation heartland.