{"product_id":"old-map-of-ontonagon-michigan-by-usgs-1961-iron-river-lake-superior","title":"Old Map of Ontonagon, Michigan by USGS, 1961 – Iron River \u0026 Lake Superior","description":"\u003cp\u003ePublished in 1961 by the United States Geological Survey, “Iron River” presents a richly detailed 1:250,000 topographical portrait of Michigan’s western Upper Peninsula, with Ontonagon, Iron River, Lake Superior, and the surrounding interior rendered as a landscape of forests, waterways, roads, and relief. At this scale, the map captures both broad regional relationships and the fine structure of terrain: the shore of Lake Superior, the wooded uplands inland, and the network of settlements and transport routes that tied mining, timber, and lake commerce together. The absence of a separate imprint or survey year gives the sheet the character of a single historical moment, preserving the geography and infrastructure of the region as understood by federal cartographers in 1961.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe US Geological Survey brought to this map nearly a century of institutional expertise in measuring and representing the American landscape. Founded in 1879, the USGS became the nation’s authoritative mapper of terrain, mineral resources, water systems, and public lands, producing sheets prized for their precision and clarity. “Iron River” reflects the Survey’s mature mid-twentieth-century style: contour lines articulate the rise and fall of the land, blue hydrology gives prominence to lakes and rivers, and a vivid green palette distinguishes forested and vegetated areas. The result is both technical and evocative, a disciplined scientific document that also conveys the dense, watery, wooded character of Michigan’s north country.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOntonagon occupies an especially meaningful place on this map, standing near the southern shore of Lake Superior in a region long shaped by copper, logging, fishing, and maritime movement. The town’s setting speaks to the broader history of the Upper Peninsula, where rivers descending toward the lake formed natural corridors into the interior and where harbors linked remote resource districts to wider markets. Around Ontonagon, the mapped landscape suggests a world defined by water and timber: streams, lakes, marshy lowlands, and forest cover appear as essential features rather than empty background. In 1961, these elements were not merely scenic; they were central to transportation planning, resource management, and local livelihood.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIron River and the inland portions of the sheet reveal another dimension of the Upper Peninsula: a rugged, mineral-rich terrain of ridges, basins, and forested highlands. Contours and elevation shading describe the uneven ground that influenced settlement patterns, road construction, rail alignments, and the placement of communities. Roads and railways, where shown, thread through the physical constraints of the region, registering the practical geography of a landscape built around extraction, movement, and endurance. National forest areas and other protected or managed lands underscore the importance of conservation and federal land stewardship during the postwar decades, when recreation, forestry, and environmental oversight increasingly intersected with older industrial uses.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAs a historical document, “Iron River” is particularly valuable for the way it records the Upper Peninsula before the full transformation of modern digital mapping and contemporary land-use change. Its green forests, blue waters, and carefully drawn relief offer a baseline against which later shifts in infrastructure, population, resource management, and conservation can be understood. The map invites comparison between natural permanence and human alteration: Lake Superior’s immense presence, the enduring courses of rivers, and the rugged topography contrast with the more changeable marks of roads, rail lines, settlements, and administrative boundaries. Elegant, empirical, and regionally evocative, it captures northern Michigan at a moment when topographic mapping still combined field survey, draughtsmanship, and national ambition.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eCities, towns and places on this map\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eOntonagon, Michigan\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eIron River, Michigan\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eLake Superior\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eNational Forest areas\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eVarious lakes and rivers\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eRoads and highways\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eRailways\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eForts or historical landmarks\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eParks or protected areas\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eForested regions\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eHistorical context \u0026amp; cartographic details\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eProduced by the US Geological Survey.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eHistorical 1:250,000 topographical map showing Ontonagon, Michigan and surrounding areas.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eDated 1961, with no separate imprint year specified.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003ePublished by the US Geological Survey, known for detailed topographical maps based on extensive survey data.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eHighlights surrounding topography and significant water bodies.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eUses a vibrant green color scheme to represent vegetation and land cover.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eWater bodies are depicted in blue.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eIncludes contour lines and elevation shading to show terrain and topographic change.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eDisplays rugged regional terrain, with elevation changes marked by contour lines.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eServes as a 1961 snapshot of the area’s geography and infrastructure.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eUseful for understanding changes over time in land use, population, and natural resource management.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eLooking for a particular place?\u003c\/strong\u003e Review the detailed images to confirm that the town, landmark or feature you have in mind appears on the map. If you are unsure, \u003ca target=\"”_blank”\" href=\"\/de\/pages\/contact-us\"\u003eask our workshop to check before you order\u003c\/a\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eDetailed maps are especially rewarding at larger sizes, where names, boundaries and decorative features have more room to be appreciated. Use the close-up preview and size guide to choose the right scale for your wall.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis map looks amazing at sizes all the way up to 50in (125cm). If you are looking for a larger map, please \u003ca href=\"\/de\/pages\/contact-us\"\u003eget in touch\u003c\/a\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThe model in the listing images is holding the 18x24in (45x60cm) version of this map.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWhere personalisation is available, you can add a short title or dedication, mark one meaningful place, or request one considered visual detail. \u003ca target=\"”_blank”\" href=\"\/de\/pages\/map-personalisation\"\u003eSee personalised map examples\u003c\/a\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eEvery piece is printed to museum-grade archival standards using fade-resistant pigment inks on acid-free matte paper. Choose an unframed map print, framed map or canvas using the finish options above. Framed maps use crystal-clear optical acrylic and arrive ready to hang.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eWith its rich detail and strong sense of place, this map makes a considered gift for a new home, anniversary, retirement or anyone with a personal connection to the area shown. Still deciding? Explore our collection of \u003ca target=\"”_blank”\" href=\"\/de\/collections\/all-old-vintage-antique-maps\"\u003erare old and vintage maps\u003c\/a\u003e to discover another place, period or style.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"The Unique Maps Co.","offers":[{"title":"12x16in (30x40cm) \/ Map","offer_id":68128593379719,"sku":null,"price":54.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"12x16in (30x40cm) \/ Framed map","offer_id":68128593412487,"sku":null,"price":144.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"12x16in (30x40cm) \/ Framed canvas map","offer_id":68128593445255,"sku":null,"price":0.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"A3 (297x420mm) \/ Map","offer_id":68128593478023,"sku":null,"price":54.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"A3 (297x420mm) \/ Framed map","offer_id":68128593510791,"sku":null,"price":144.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"A3 (297x420mm) \/ Framed canvas 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