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1969 Map of Zerkel

Name: 1969 Topographic Map of Zerkel
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1972
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1972

About this map

Lower Rice Lake and the dense woodlands of the White Earth State Forest dominate this landscape on the Clearwater County border. The 1969 survey captures a region defined by its complex hydrology and state-managed conservation lands, including the Lower Rice Lake State Wildlife Management Area. Four distinct landings along the western shore—Bonga Landing, Big Bear Landing, Bush Landing, and Ponsford Landing—point to the lake's importance for local access and travel through the wetlands.

Further east, the terrain rises toward the Sugarbush Lookout Tower and the small settlements of Minerva and Zerkel. The map detail includes several interior water bodies like Rockstad Lake and Anderson Lake, connected by the winding Minerva River and Buckboard Creek. Of particular interest to local historians is the southern portion of the quadrangle, where the Otterkill Trail passes near Klepps Slough, indicating established routes through the brush and timber before modern development patterns fully emerged.