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1939 Map of Winchester

Name: 1939 Topographic Map of Winchester
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1951
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1951

About this map

The Winchester area of Vilas County is defined by a dense mosaic of glacial lakes and wetlands during the late 1930s. The settlement of Winchester serves as a local hub near North Turtle Lake and South Turtle Lake, while the tracks of the Chicago and Northwestern railroad cut through the northern timberland near Winegar Lake. This era shows a landscape transitioning from heavy logging toward early recreational use, evidenced by the presence of a C C C Camp and the Rest Lake Fire Tower standing watch over the surrounding forests.

Local education and infrastructure are anchored by the Spider Lake Sch and a network of early trunk highways that connect isolated settlements like Powell. The hydrology is remarkably complex, with the Turtle River and Rainbow Creek feeding into dozens of named water bodies such as Presque Isle Lake and Papoose Lake, many of which feature distinctive landmarks like Catfish Pt. and named islands that remain central to the region's geography.