1969 Map of Wooden Shoe Village

About this map

Wooden Shoe Village and the nearby community of White Star sit at the northern reaches of the Tittabawassee River waterway system as it appeared in the late 1960s. The landscape is defined by the impounded waters behind Smallwood Dam, which created Smallwood Lake, and the upper portion of Wixom Lake further south. These reservoirs are flanked by the Tittabawassee River State Forest, showing a transition from the mid-century lumbering era toward a recreation and resource-based economy. The industrial character of the region is evident in the numerous extraction points within the Buckeye Oil Field, Highwood Field, and Mc Mahan Field. Transportation history is preserved through labels like Railroad Grade, marking former rail paths through the townships of Hay and Billings. Numerous drainage systems, such as Winegars Drain and South Buckeye Drain, reveal the managed nature of the surrounding lowlands.