Published in 1939 by the United States Geological Survey, “Port Townsend” presents the northeastern edge of Washington’s Olympic Peninsula with the precision and restraint that made USGS quadrangles indispensable to engineers, planners, soldiers, and travelers. Marked as an “advance” sheet, it captures the region at a moment when federal mapping was increasingly tied to infrastructure, land management, and national preparedness. At a scale of 1:62,500, the map balances broad regional comprehension with closely observed local detail, placing Port Townsend at the center of a coastal world shaped by tidewater, forested uplands, military installations, ferry routes, and sheltered harbors. Its classic USGS styling, with carefully drawn grid lines, contour intervals, and colored relief shading, gives the landscape a sculptural clarity.

Port Townsend itself appears as a historic maritime town commanding the entrance to Puget Sound from its strategic position near the Strait of Juan de Fuca. By 1939, the town’s nineteenth-century ambitions as a major Pacific Northwest port had given way to a quieter but still vital role in shipping, defense, and regional commerce. The map situates it among headlands and waterways whose names evoke both navigation and settlement: Point Wilson, Beckett Point, Ross Point, Middle Point, and Kasten Point. Fort Worden, overlooking the strait, is especially significant, having formed part of the defensive triangle guarding Puget Sound alongside Fort Casey and Fort Flagler. On this sheet, geography and military history are inseparable.

The surrounding waters lend the map much of its drama. The Strait of Juan de Fuca stretches across the northern margin as the great marine corridor linking the Pacific Ocean to the inland sea of Puget Sound. To the south and east, Oak Bay, Kilisut Harbor, Port Ludlow, and the entrances toward Hood Canal reveal a deeply indented shoreline, full of anchorages, passages, and tidal complexity. Marrowstone Island and Indian Island stand out as key landforms within this network of channels, their contours and shorelines crisply described. Delta Bank and the shallows near the coastal points hint at the hidden underwater geography so important to navigation, fisheries, and naval movement in this maritime landscape.

Inland, the map’s colored relief shading and contour lines trace the transition from low coastal margins to rolling wooded elevations, offering a vivid topographic portrait of Jefferson County and its environs. Communities such as Lower Hadlock, Upper Hadlock, Cape George, and Port Ludlow appear within a terrain defined by coves, ridges, roads, and shore-facing settlements. The Olympic Peninsula’s larger environmental identity is suggested by the broader regional setting: wet forests, steep gradients, and the pull of the Olympic Mountains beyond the sheet’s immediate focus, culminating farther west in landscapes such as the Hoh Rain Forest. Even where the map is most technical, it conveys the ecological richness of the Pacific Northwest coast.

As a historical document, this 1939 USGS map preserves Port Townsend and its neighboring communities before the profound postwar transformations of the Puget Sound region. It records a landscape still defined by small towns, forts, working waterfronts, agricultural pockets, timberlands, and maritime routes rather than suburban expansion. The “advance” designation adds a sense of immediacy, suggesting a working map issued ahead of final refinements for practical use in the field. Its disciplined cartography reveals not only where roads, settlements, elevations, and shorelines stood, but also how the federal government understood and organized the American landscape on the eve of World War II. Elegant, authoritative, and richly informative, it is a compelling portrait of place and period.

Cities, towns and places on this map

• Port Townsend
• Cape George
• Port Ludlow
• Marrowstone Island
• Indian Island
• Beckett Point
• Ross Point
• Middle Point
• Kasten Point
• Delta Bank
• Strait of Juan de Fuca
• Fort Worden
• Useless Bay
• Charman Beach
• Lower Hadlock
• Upper Hadlock
• Point Wilson
• Oak Bay
• Hoh Rain Forest
• Kilisut Harbor
• Discovery Bay
• Hood Canal

Historical context & cartographic details

• Produced by the US Geological Survey as a historical 1:62,500 topographical map of Port Townsend, Washington, and the surrounding area.
• Created in 1939.
• Labeled with special features marked as “advance.”
• Published by the US Geological Survey, known for detailed topographical mapping based on extensive surveying.
• Uses colored relief shading to depict terrain and improve topographic understanding.
• Features a classic USGS design style typical of the period, including grid lines for detailed navigation.
• Shows varied topography, including coastal areas and inland elevations.
• Includes contour lines indicating elevation changes.
• Reflects the geography of Port Townsend and its surroundings in 1939, offering insight into later urban development and land-use changes.

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.