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1951 Map of Virginia

Name: 1951 Topographic Map of Virginia
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1983
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1983

About this map

Virginia and the neighboring community of Mountain Iron sit at the heart of the Mesabi Range, where the intensive extraction of iron ore has fundamentally reshaped the terrain. The landscape is a complex patchwork of massive excavations and mine dumps, specifically around the Wacootah Mine and the sprawling operations of the Duluth Missabe and Iron Range railroad. This industrial infrastructure exists alongside established civic life, evidenced by the cluster of schools like Horace Mann Sch and institutions such as Missabe Community College.

The geological significance of the area is highlighted by the Laurentian Divide, which crosses the southern portion of the quadrangle. North of the city, the Superior National Forest provides a sharp contrast to the industrial zones, containing Little Sandy Lake and Sandy Lake. Smaller settlements like Parkville, West Virginia, and Franklin are shown in relation to the transit corridors of the Burlington Northern and the Duluth Winnipeg and Pacific railroads.