Published in 1982 from 1981 mapping, the United States Geological Survey’s “Presque Isle” presents the lake country of northern Wisconsin with the quiet authority of a classic 1:24,000 topographical quadrangle. Centered on the populated place of Presque Isle, the map records a landscape where settlement, forest, road, and water are closely interwoven. Its original title is spare and evocative, naming a community whose French-derived name suggests a “nearly islanded” place—apt for a region defined by peninsulas, shorelines, and glacially shaped basins. Green woodland tints, blue lakes and streams, and precise contouring give the sheet both scientific clarity and visual richness, capturing the terrain as it stood at the opening of the 1980s.

The mapmaker, the United States Geological Survey, has been central to American cartography since its founding in 1879, when the nation sought systematic knowledge of its geology, resources, and terrain. By the twentieth century, USGS topographic quadrangles had become indispensable tools for engineers, foresters, planners, scientists, hunters, hikers, and local residents. This Presque Isle sheet belongs to that tradition of exact observation, translating the land into a disciplined visual language of contours, symbols, road classifications, benchmarks, and hydrological detail. At 1:24,000 scale, it offers an intimate view: close enough to show individual roads, trails, lakeshores, and elevation changes, yet broad enough to reveal the wider pattern of forest and water that defines Vilas County.

Water is the commanding presence here. Presque Isle Lake, Rest Lake, and Little Bearskin Lake appear among a constellation of northern lakes, each rendered in the familiar USGS blue that immediately distinguishes open water, marshy margins, and drainage features from the surrounding uplands. These lakes are part of a landscape shaped by the last glaciations, where ice left behind kettle basins, irregular shorelines, and rolling terrain. The map’s contour lines and elevation labels make visible the subtle relief around these waters, showing ridges, low divides, and the gentle rise and fall of forested ground. For those interested in environmental history, the sheet preserves a measured portrait of the region’s hydrology before later decades of recreational development and shoreline change.

Presque Isle sits within the broader setting of the Northern Highland-American Legion State Forest, one of Wisconsin’s great forest landscapes and a defining feature of the state’s Northwoods identity. The map’s green woodland areas suggest the density and continuity of this forested environment, while county roads, minor roads, and unnamed trails thread through it, indicating access routes to cabins, campsites, lakes, and recreation areas. The balance between infrastructure and wilderness is especially compelling: roads bend around water and elevation, settlements remain modest, and the natural pattern of lake basins and wooded uplands dominates the composition. This is a map of a place where human presence is real but still subordinate to terrain, water, and forest.

As a historical document, “Presque Isle” captures a specific moment in 1981, making it valuable for comparison with contemporary mapping and satellite imagery. Changes in land use, road networks, forest management, recreational access, shoreline development, and conservation boundaries can all be studied against this carefully surveyed baseline. Its cartographic style is also emblematic of late twentieth-century USGS practice: legible, standardized, restrained, and immensely informative. The use of color is functional yet handsome, with green elevations and wooded areas, blue water features, and finely drawn contour lines combining to create a layered image of the land. For collectors, historians, and admirers of Wisconsin’s lake country, this map offers both technical precision and a vivid sense of place.

Cities, towns and places on this map

• Presque Isle, Wisconsin
• Northern Highland-American Legion State Forest
• Presque Isle Lake
• Rest Lake
• Little Bearskin Lake
• Natural waterways noted on the map, though specific river names are not visible
• Various unnamed trails and county roads
• Identified forest areas
• Potential camping sites
• Elevation points marked with contour lines and height labels

Historical context & cartographic details

• Map Name: Presque Isle
• Date of Creation: 1981, published with a 1982 imprint
• Mapmaker/Publisher: United States Geological Survey / USGS
• Scale: 1:24,000 topographical map
• USGS context: The United States Geological Survey has produced accurate topographical maps since its founding in 1879, supporting land management, recreation, scientific research, and planning.
• Cartographic style: Uses standard topographical coloring, including green for land and vegetation/elevation areas and blue for water bodies.
• Topographic detail: Shows varied elevations through contour lines and hachures, reflecting rolling terrain and numerous lakes.
• Historical significance: Captures the landscape as it appeared in 1981, making it useful for comparison with modern maps to study changes in land use, development, and environmental conditions.

Looking for a particular place? Review the detailed images to confirm that the town, landmark or feature you have in mind appears on the map. If you are unsure, ask our workshop to check before you order.

Detailed 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.

This map looks amazing at sizes all the way up to 50in (125cm). If you are looking for a larger map, please get in touch.

The model in the listing images is holding the 16x20in (40x50cm) version of this map.

Where personalisation is available, you can add a short title or dedication, mark one meaningful place, or request one considered visual detail. See personalised map examples.

Every 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.

With 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 rare old and vintage maps to discover another place, period or style.

This map is also available as a float framed canvas, sometimes known as a shadow gap framed canvas or canvas floater. The map is printed on artist's cotton canvas and then stretched over a handmade box frame. We then "float" the canvas inside a wooden frame, which is available in a range of colours (black, dark brown, oak, antique gold and white). This is a wonderful way to present a map without glazing in front. See some examples of float framed canvas maps and explore the differences between my different finishes.

For something truly unique, this map is also available in "Unique 3D", our trademarked process that dramatically transforms the map so that it has a wonderful sense of depth. We combine the original map with detailed topography and elevation data, so that mountains and the terrain really "pop". For more info and examples of 3D maps, check my Unique 3D page.