1956 Map of Whiteface

About this map

The Duluth Winnipeg and Pacific railroad cuts a north-south path through this pocket of St. Louis County, providing the primary industrial link through a landscape dominated by timber and water. Centered on the Cloquet Valley State Forest, the terrain is defined by a complex drainage network where the Whiteface River meanders toward the small settlement of Whiteface. This mid-century survey reveals a transition from the structured township lines of Ellsburg and Cotton to the dense glacial lakes and wetlands of the north woods. Significant water bodies like Long Lake, East Bass Lake, and the series of three Washusk Lakes illustrate the region's hydrography before modern development, while smaller features such as Moonshine Creek and Bug Lake indicate the localized naming conventions of the era's woodsmen and surveyors.