1956 Map of White Pine

About this map

The rugged shoreline of Lake Superior meets a landscape defined by industrial extraction and public wilderness in this mid-century survey of Ontonagon County. The southern shore of Union Bay serves as the gateway to the Porcupine Mountains State Park, where landmarks like Lake of the Clouds and Government Peak rise above the timber. The era's copper mining legacy is visible in the cluster of heritage sites including the Carp Lake Mine, Cuyahoga Mine, and the settlement at Nonesuch. To the east, the modern industrial footprint of the White Pine Mine dominates, complete with a massive Tailings Pond, a Smoke Stack, and an above ground pipeline servicing the facility near the village of White Pine. This map documents a period when the timber of the Ottawa National Forest and the minerals beneath it were being balanced against the burgeoning recreational use of the peaks and falls.