{"product_id":"old-map-of-boulder-junction-wisconsin-by-usgs-1955-plum-lake-presque-isle","title":"Old Map of Boulder Junction, Wisconsin by USGS, 1955 – Plum Lake \u0026 Presque Isle","description":"\u003cp\u003ePublished in 1972 from survey work conducted in 1955, the US Geological Survey’s “Boulder Junction” presents a richly detailed portrait of Wisconsin’s Northwoods at mid-century. Centered on the populated place of Boulder Junction, the map extends across a landscape defined by deep forest, glacial lakes, winding roads, and modest settlements. Its 1:62,500 scale allows the region to be read both as terrain and as lived geography, balancing topographic precision with the quiet poetry of place names such as Plum Lake, Presque Isle, Whitefish Lake, and Little Spider Lake. The result is a cartographic record of a lake country whose identity rests on water, timber, recreation, and remoteness.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe map was produced by the United States Geological Survey, the federal agency whose topographic quadrangles became among the most trusted visual records of the American landscape. Founded in the nineteenth century under the Department of the Interior, the USGS brought scientific rigor to mapping, geology, hydrology, and resource study. Here, its disciplined graphic language is immediately apparent: contour lines articulate subtle changes in elevation, blue hydrographic forms define lakes and streams, green tints indicate wooded land, and red markings emphasize roads and boundaries. This restrained yet highly legible style gives the map both practical authority and aesthetic elegance, characteristic of the best mid-twentieth-century American survey cartography.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe terrain shown is quintessentially northern Wisconsin: a glaciated region scattered with lakes of varied size and shape, surrounded by forest and threaded by rural roads and trails. Plum Lake, Big Lake, Crooked Lake, Bear Lake, Black Lake, Fishtrap Lake, and many smaller unnamed ponds punctuate the landscape, revealing the watery complexity of the region. These lakes are not merely decorative features; they are the organizing elements of settlement, travel, recreation, and ecology. Contour lines gently describe the rolling ground between basins, while the dense pattern of water bodies suggests the ancient glacial processes that shaped Vilas County and its neighboring Northwoods terrain.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBoulder Junction, Presque Isle, and the surrounding communities appear within a wider recreational and conservation landscape, including the Northern Highland-American Legion State Forest. This vast forest region has long been central to Wisconsin’s outdoor culture, drawing anglers, canoeists, hunters, campers, and summer residents into a setting of lakes, pines, and quiet roads. Fort Wilderness and the numerous trails and minor routes shown on the map hint at patterns of seasonal movement and rural access. In the decades following the 1955 survey, tourism and development would continue to reshape the area, making this map a valuable record of an earlier Northwoods geography.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAs a historical document, “Boulder Junction” captures a moment when the region remained comparatively sparse, wooded, and water-oriented, before later changes in infrastructure, shoreline development, and environmental management altered the balance of settlement and wilderness. Its cartographic detail preserves not only named places, but also the spatial relationships between lakes, roads, forests, and elevation—relationships that define the character of this part of Wisconsin. The map invites close reading: a road bending toward a lake, a cluster of ponds hidden in forest, a settlement placed at the edge of vast natural space. It is both a technical survey and a contemplative portrait of the Northwoods.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eCities, towns and places on this map\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eBoulder Junction\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003ePlum Lake\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003ePresque Isle\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eWhitefish Lake\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eBear Lake\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eCrooked Lake\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eBig Lake\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eLittle Spider Lake\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eFishtrap Lake\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eBlack Lake\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eSeveral unmarked lakes and ponds scattered throughout the map\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eNumerous roads and trails\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eFort Wilderness\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eNorthern Highland-American Legion State Forest\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, this historical 1:62,500 topographical map shows Boulder Junction, Plum Lake, Presque Isle, and the surrounding area in Wisconsin.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThe original survey was conducted in 1955, and the map was published with a 1972 imprint.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eCreated by the US Geological Survey, an agency of the United States Department of the Interior known for comprehensive mapping and geological studies.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eFeatures topographic and hydrographic details, including elevation lines, water bodies, and land-use indications.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eUses greens for land, blue for water bodies, and red for roads and boundaries.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eShows varied elevation levels, numerous lakes, and forests characteristic of northern Wisconsin.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003ePreserves a historical cartographic record of an area that may have changed since the 1970s due to development and environmental alterations.\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=\"\/es\/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=\"\/es\/pages\/contact-us\"\u003eget in touch\u003c\/a\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThe model in the listing images is holding the 16x20in (40x50cm) 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=\"\/es\/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=\"\/es\/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":68115515965831,"sku":null,"price":54.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"12x16in (30x40cm) \/ Framed map","offer_id":68115515998599,"sku":null,"price":145.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"12x16in (30x40cm) \/ Framed canvas map","offer_id":68115516031367,"sku":null,"price":0.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"A3 (297x420mm) \/ Map","offer_id":68115516064135,"sku":null,"price":54.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"A3 (297x420mm) \/ Framed map","offer_id":68115516096903,"sku":null,"price":145.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"A3 (297x420mm) \/ Framed canvas 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