A map published in Superior, Wisconsin in 1889 may be one of the first Great Lakes mashups.

This map owned by the American Geographical Society Library uses a U.S. map and the human body to depict the Great Lakes transportation system. Photo: American Geographical Society Library

The creator, A.F. McKay, combined a U.S. map with a drawing of a human body in an attempt to promote Superior’s potential as a transportation hub.

According to the American Geographical Society Library, the body represents the transportation system of the time. McKay mapped the heart over Superior indicating that it was the center of circulation, the arteries depict railways, and New York at the navel represents where commerce developed.

As for what organs the other Great Lakes stand for, you’re on your own. Lake Michigan seems to be in the liver (or stomach?) along with parts of Michigan, Minnesota, Illinois and Indiana. What this metaphorically implies is open to interpretation.