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1955 Map of Wakefield

Name: 1955 Topographic Map of Wakefield
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1977
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1977

About this map

Sunday Lake sits at the heart of this Gogebic County landscape, where the iron mining industry of the mid-20th century is clearly etched into the terrain. The northern half of the map reveals the complex footprint of extractive operations, including the Sunday Lake Mine and extensive mine dumps bordering Wakefield and Verona. These industrial clusters are served by the Chicago And North Western railroad, which threads through the mining towns of Ramsay and Plymouth.

South of the industrial corridor, the character shifts dramatically into the timberlands of the Ottawa National Forest. The topography here is defined by the winding course of the Black River and its tributaries, such as Devils Creek and Bice Creek. This contrast between the dense residential and industrial grid near the High Sch and the expansive forest highlights the dual economic identity of the Upper Peninsula during this era, balancing mineral wealth with vast natural resources.