{"product_id":"old-map-of-ely-minnesota-by-usgs-1939-burntside-lake-shagawa-lake-fall-lake","title":"Old Map of Ely, Minnesota by USGS, 1939 – Burntside Lake, Shagawa Lake \u0026 Fall Lake","description":"\u003cp\u003ePublished in 1949 from 1939 survey work, the US Geological Survey’s “Ely” captures a celebrated corner of northeastern Minnesota at a defining moment in its modern history. Drawn at the detailed 1:62,500 scale, the map presents Ely and its surrounding lake country with the clarity and authority characteristic of mid-century federal topographic mapping. This was a landscape shaped by water, rock, forest, and industry, yet increasingly valued for wilderness recreation and conservation. The map’s crisp contours, blue hydrology, road networks, railroad lines, and carefully labeled settlements offer a richly layered view of a northern town poised between its mining heritage and its emerging identity as a gateway to canoe routes, camps, and protected forests.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe US Geological Survey, founded in 1879, brought scientific rigor and national ambition to the mapping of the American landscape. Its topographic sheets were not merely navigational aids; they were instruments of geology, land management, infrastructure planning, and environmental knowledge. In this Ely sheet, that institutional precision is evident in every contour and shoreline. Elevation changes are rendered through fine contour lines, allowing the viewer to read the glacially carved terrain with remarkable immediacy. Lakes, rivers, wetlands, roads, trails, and railways are organized into a coherent visual system, reflecting the USGS mission to make the country’s natural resources and hazards legible. The result is both technically exacting and quietly beautiful.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eEly itself sits amid one of Minnesota’s most evocative landscapes, where boreal forest and water interlace across the southern edge of the great northern wilderness. The map shows Shagawa Lake near the town, with Burntside Lake to the west and Fall Lake to the east, each part of a broader network of waterways that would become synonymous with canoe travel and outdoor adventure. Bear Island Lake, Whiteside Lake, Fowl Lake, and Lake Minnto further emphasize the region’s lacustrine character. These waters are not decorative features but the organizing principle of the map: they shape travel corridors, settlement patterns, campsites, recreation areas, and the deep sense of remoteness for which Ely is famous.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe cartographic style is quintessentially mid-20th-century USGS: practical, colorful, and elegantly restrained. Water bodies appear with strong visual clarity, while forested areas, transportation lines, and contours are distinguished through a balanced palette designed for immediate comprehension in the field. US Highway 169 and local roads connect Ely to surrounding settlements and recreation areas, while railroad lines recall the region’s industrial and extractive past. The inclusion of Fall Lake Campground and various trails hints at the growing importance of tourism, camping, fishing, and canoeing in the local economy. At the same time, the density of lakes and woods conveys a place still dominated by natural systems rather than urban expansion.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHistorically, this map belongs to a period when northeastern Minnesota was being reimagined. Long associated with iron mining, timber, and frontier settlement, Ely was also becoming an emblem of wilderness access and environmental stewardship. The nearby Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness would later become one of the most cherished protected landscapes in the United States, and this map preserves the geography just before conservation debates and recreation pressures reshaped public understanding of the region. Its depiction of roads, railroads, lakes, and forests offers a snapshot of land use at mid-century, when mobility and preservation stood side by side. For collectors, “Ely” is a compelling record of Minnesota’s lake country at the threshold of its modern wilderness identity.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eCities, towns and places on this map\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eEly, Minnesota\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eBear Island Lake\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eShagawa Lake\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eBurntside Lake\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eLake Minnto\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eWhiteside Lake\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eFowl Lake\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eFall Lake\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eFall Lake Campground\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eVarious roads and trails\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eUS Highway 169\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eRailroad lines\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eNumerous forested areas\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eContours representing elevation changes throughout the area\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eHistorical context \u0026amp; cartographic details\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eProduced by the US Geological Survey, this historical 1:62,500 topographical map shows Ely, Minnesota and the surrounding area.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eDated 1939 with a 1949 imprint.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003ePublished by the US Geological Survey, a U.S. government scientific agency with a major role in mapping, surveying, and documenting natural resources and hazards.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eEly is known as a gateway to the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness, a major destination for outdoor recreation.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThe map uses a vibrant mid-20th-century USGS color scheme to show topographic features clearly.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eBodies of water, elevation changes, and wooded terrain are carefully delineated.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThe topography reflects the northeastern Minnesota landscape, with numerous lakes, rivers, and varied terrain.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThe map offers insight into Ely’s geography during a period when the region was becoming increasingly associated with outdoor recreation and environmental conservation.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eIts design includes distinct topographic elements and a clear layout of hydrological features, typical of USGS cartography from the period.\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=\"\/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=\"\/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=\"\/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=\"\/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":58767134097792,"sku":null,"price":76.0,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":true},{"title":"12x16in (30x40cm) \/ Framed map","offer_id":58767134130560,"sku":null,"price":203.0,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":true},{"title":"12x16in (30x40cm) \/ Framed canvas map","offer_id":58767134163328,"sku":null,"price":0.0,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":true},{"title":"A3 (297x420mm) \/ Map","offer_id":58767134196096,"sku":null,"price":76.0,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":true},{"title":"A3 (297x420mm) \/ Framed map","offer_id":58767134228864,"sku":null,"price":203.0,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":true},{"title":"A3 (297x420mm) \/ Framed canvas 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