1951 Map of Virginia

About this map

The iron mining operations of the Mesabi Range dominate this landscape near Virginia and Mountain Iron. Enormous excavations and landforms such as the Wacootah Mine, Sidney Mine, and numerous Mine Dumps shape the topography, illustrating the scale of industrial activity during the mid-20th century. The urban centers are densely packed with civic infrastructure, from the Armory and City Hall to local neighborhood anchors like Washington Sch and Horace Mann Sch. In the northern section, the industrial character gives way to the Superior National Forest and the State Game Refuge near Sandy Lake. This contrast highlights the adjacency of heavy industry and wilderness that defined St. Louis County during this era. Transportation is dictated by the needs of ore movement, featuring the Duluth Missabe and Iron Range and Duluth Winnipeg and Pacific railroads.