Historical atlas
Michigan Historical Vegetation Atlas (c. 1800)
- Source
- Federal land surveys, 1816 to 1856, mapped by MNFI in 1995
- Coverage
- All 83 counties
- Cost
- Free, no account
A map of Michigan as the federal land surveyors found it between 1816 and 1856, before large-scale logging, farming and drainage remade the state. Search an address, a township or the section number from your deed, and the atlas shows which of 75 plant communities most likely covered that ground, from beech and sugar maple forest to oak openings and tamarack swamp.
The atlas gives historical context for a site visit. It does not show today's vegetation, property lines or wetland boundaries.
What you can do
- Find your groundSearch by address, coordinates, county, township, or a legal description such as T1N R3W Sec 14. In the field, one tap uses your phone's location.
- Read the old coverClick any spot for its community name, what to look for on the ground, and links to the matching Michigan Natural Features Inventory descriptions.
- See the witness treesAbout 237,000 corner trees the surveyors recorded, each with its species and diameter, shown right on the map.
- Compare with todaySwipe between the 1800 map and modern satellite imagery, or fade the old map over terrain to read the landform.
- Sketch and measureOutline a field or woodlot for approximate acres, or trace a route for its distance.
- Take it to the fieldBuild a printable field packet with a captured map, a source citation, questions to answer on the ground and room for your notes.
