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1955 Map of Wakefield

Name: 1955 Topographic Map of Wakefield
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1957
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1957

About this map

Wakefield sits at the heart of Michigan's iron-mining country in the mid-1950s, defined by its relationship with Sunday Lake and the heavy industrial landscape of the Gogebic Range. The northern edge of the map reveals the density of mid-century extraction, with the Sunday Lake Mine, Plymouth Mine, and prominent Mine Dump features surrounding the residential areas. Transportation for this ore-driven economy was provided by the Chicago and North Western railroad, which snakes through the valley connecting Verona, Ramsay, and Plymouth.

South of the industrial corridor, the terrain shifts abruptly into the densely wooded tracts of the Ottawa National Forest and Highland State Forest. This wilderness area is characterized by a high concentration of small lakes, such as Chaney Lake and McDonald Lake, and the winding course of the Presque Isle River. Fire detection was a critical priority for these timberlands, evidenced by the strategic placement of the Verona Lookout Tower, Ramsay Lookout Tower, and Trostel Lookout Tower.