Published in 1990 by the United States Geological Survey, “Wakefield” presents a richly detailed 1:100,000 topographical portrait of the lake country straddling northern Wisconsin and Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. Centered on the Wakefield-Presque Isle region, the map captures a landscape shaped by ice, water, and forest: an intricate terrain of kettle lakes, low ridges, wetlands, streams, roads, and settlement corridors. Its USGS styling is precise and restrained, using clean color contrasts to separate water, woodland, developed areas, and relief. Contour lines give the terrain its quiet dimensionality, revealing subtle elevation changes across a region where the drama lies not in towering peaks, but in glacially carved basins, drainage divides, and the dense patterning of northern hardwood and conifer forest.

The United States Geological Survey has long been the authoritative cartographer of the American landscape, and this map reflects the agency’s blend of scientific rigor and practical usability. USGS topographical maps were designed for surveyors, planners, educators, foresters, hikers, anglers, and anyone needing to understand the land beyond political boundaries. In “Wakefield,” that mandate is especially clear: the map is not merely a guide to towns and roads, but a systematic reading of landforms, water systems, and human use. Its 1:100,000 scale allows a broad regional view while preserving enough detail to trace streams, identify lakes, follow routes, and understand how communities fit into the surrounding forests. It is cartography as public infrastructure, elegant in its clarity.

Presque Isle, one of the notable communities shown, sits within a region celebrated for its quiet waters, wooded shorelines, and outdoor recreation. Around it, the map records a constellation of lakes—Pike Lake, Star Lake, Tomahawk Lake, Lake of the Falls, Lake Minocqua, and many smaller unnamed waters—each part of the hydrological richness that defines northern Wisconsin. These lakes are legacies of glaciation, left behind as ice retreated and reshaped the land into basins, moraines, and wetlands. For anglers, paddlers, and hikers, the region has long offered a distinctive wilderness intimacy: not vast emptiness, but a dense, navigable mosaic of forests, trails, cabins, watercourses, and small communities connected by seasonal rhythms.

The map also situates the area within important public forest landscapes, including Ottawa National Forest to the north and the Northern Highland-American Legion State Forest farther south. These named lands underscore the region’s long relationship with forestry, conservation, and recreation. Once shaped heavily by logging and timber transport, northern Wisconsin and the western Upper Peninsula became increasingly associated in the twentieth century with managed forests, protected waters, and outdoor tourism. Roads, trails, and railway traces on the map hint at the infrastructure that supported both extraction and access. By 1990, the terrain shown here stood at a point of transition, balancing working forest, rural settlement, lakefront development, and expanding environmental stewardship.

As a historical document, “Wakefield” preserves a late-twentieth-century snapshot of land use in a region where subtle change can be highly meaningful. Shorelines that were sparsely developed in one decade may become residential or recreational enclaves in another; forestry practices evolve; conservation priorities shift; roads are improved, rerouted, or retired. The map’s careful depiction of lakes, streams, woods, elevation, and settlement patterns makes it valuable not only as a navigational tool, but as a record of environmental history. It captures northern lake country before the full force of later development pressures, offering a measured, authoritative view of a landscape defined by water, woods, glacial form, and enduring recreational appeal.

Cities, towns and places on this map

• Presque Isle — population center
• Wakefield
• Mason
• Land O' Lakes
• Boulder Junction
• Minocqua
• Ottawa National Forest
• Lake Minocqua
• Pike Lake
• Star Lake
• Tomahawk Lake
• Lake of the Falls
• Northern Highland-American Legion State Forest
• Various unnamed lakes and streams
• Roads and trails — specific names not discernible
• Wilderness areas and parks
• Railway lines — specific details not discernible
• Forests — not explicitly named

Historical context & cartographic details

• Map name: Wakefield
• Date: 1990, with a 1990 imprint
• Publisher: United States Geological Survey, or USGS
• Map type and scale: Historical 1:100,000 topographical map
• Coverage: Shows Presque Isle in Wisconsin and the surrounding area, with extensive terrain detail
• USGS context: Produced by a publisher known for detailed topographical maps used in surveying, education, recreation, and land management
• Cartographic style: Uses a clear color scheme to distinguish topographical features
• Relief depiction: Delineated contour lines show elevation changes
• Readability: Contrasting colors for water bodies and landforms improve clarity
• Topographic character: Features lakes, forested areas, elevation changes, and land use patterns typical of northern Wisconsin terrain
• Glacial landscape: The terrain is indicative of glacial activity
• Historical significance: Land use, forestry, and development patterns may have changed since 1990, reflecting shifts in environmental conservation and land management practices
• Recreational relevance: The detailed representation of lakes and forests makes the map useful for outdoor recreation, including fishing and hiking, as well as professional land management uses

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 24x36in (60x90cm) 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.