{"product_id":"old-map-of-madison-indiana-by-usgs-1953-hanover-ohio-river-clifty-falls-state-park","title":"Old Map of Madison, Indiana by USGS, 1953 – Hanover, Ohio River \u0026 Clifty Falls State Park","description":"\u003cp\u003ePublished in 1954 from 1953 survey work, the United States Geological Survey’s “Madison West” presents a finely detailed portrait of the Ohio River country around Madison, Indiana, at mid-century. At 1:24,000 scale, the map captures the city’s riverfront setting with remarkable clarity, placing Madison within the broader landscape of Jefferson County and the neighboring Kentucky shore. The Ohio River forms the great organizing feature of the sheet, both a natural boundary and a historic corridor of commerce, settlement, and movement. Across its bends and banks, the map records a moment before later decades of development altered roads, land use, and river management, making it a compelling geographic document of southern Indiana and northern Kentucky in the early 1950s.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe USGS, long regarded as one of the world’s premier scientific mapping agencies, brought to this sheet its characteristic precision and visual discipline. Established to survey the nation’s terrain, geology, water resources, and natural hazards, the agency’s topographic maps became essential tools for planners, engineers, conservationists, and local governments. “Madison West” reflects that tradition: every contour, road, railway, stream, and settlement is rendered with the practical elegance for which USGS cartography is known. Its bright color contrasts distinguish land use and terrain, while carefully drawn brown contour lines translate hills, valleys, ridges, and depressions into an intelligible graphic language. The result is both scientific instrument and historical landscape portrait.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMadison itself occupies a place of particular interest on the map. Founded along the Ohio River, the city became one of Indiana’s most important river towns, celebrated today for its unusually rich collection of preserved nineteenth-century architecture. The map shows Madison not merely as an urban form, but as a community shaped by water, bluffs, transportation routes, and the agricultural hinterland beyond. Roads and railways converge toward the riverfront, revealing the enduring importance of connectivity in a city whose prosperity was long tied to river trade. Nearby Hanover appears as another significant settlement, set within the rolling topography of Jefferson County and connected to Madison by the region’s road network.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe surrounding landscape is especially expressive in the map’s topographic treatment. Contour lines climb away from the Ohio River into uplands, ridges, and valleys, emphasizing the dramatic relief that defines this part of southern Indiana. Clifty Falls State Park, one of the area’s great natural landmarks, sits within this terrain of ravines, wooded slopes, and water-carved landforms. The map’s shading and color scheme give visual depth to these features, making the relationship between geology, drainage, and human settlement immediately apparent. Cultivated areas, reservoirs, highways, rail corridors, and smaller rural roads are all woven into the topographic framework, revealing a working landscape balanced between agriculture, infrastructure, and natural beauty.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAcross the river, the sheet includes portions of Kentucky, including Trimble County, underscoring the Ohio’s role as both border and bond between two states. The presence of Switzerland County and Jefferson County in Indiana further situates the map within a distinctive tri-state river culture shaped by ferries, bridges, farms, towns, and steep valley walls. As a mid-twentieth-century document, “Madison West” offers insight into land use before subsequent urban expansion, highway improvement, and environmental regulation transformed the region. Its clarity, color, and density of information make it more than a utilitarian survey: it is a refined cartographic record of a historic river landscape at a particular and revealing moment in American geographic history.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eCities, towns and places on this map\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eMadison, Indiana\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eOhio River\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eHanover, Indiana\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eJefferson County, Indiana\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eSwitzerland County, Indiana\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eTrimble County, Kentucky\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eClifty Falls State Park\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eParts of Kentucky along the Ohio River\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eVarious roads and highways\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eRailways\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eCultivated areas\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eReservoirs\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eValleys and ridges\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 United States Geological Survey (USGS)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eHistorical 1:24,000 topographical map dated 1953, with a 1954 imprint\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eShows Madison, Indiana and the surrounding area in the early 1950s\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThe USGS is known for detailed geological and topographical surveys used in land use, planning, and environmental assessment\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eMadison is a historic city noted for its well-preserved 19th-century architecture and significant Ohio River waterfront\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eBright color contrasts distinguish land uses and topography\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eGreen is used for cultivated areas, while brown tones indicate elevation changes\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eShading is used effectively to depict relief\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eDetailed contour lines represent elevations and depressions in the landscape\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThe map reflects mid-20th-century land use and geographical features before later changes in development, urbanization, and environmental management\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eClear contour delineation and a bright palette highlight both the aesthetic and functional qualities of USGS cartography\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=\"\/it\/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=\"\/it\/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=\"\/it\/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=\"\/it\/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":58764567118208,"sku":null,"price":41.95,"currency_code":"EUR","in_stock":true},{"title":"12x16in (30x40cm) \/ Framed map","offer_id":58764567150976,"sku":null,"price":112.95,"currency_code":"EUR","in_stock":true},{"title":"12x16in (30x40cm) \/ Framed canvas map","offer_id":58764567183744,"sku":null,"price":0.0,"currency_code":"EUR","in_stock":true},{"title":"A3 (297x420mm) \/ Map","offer_id":58764567216512,"sku":null,"price":41.95,"currency_code":"EUR","in_stock":true},{"title":"A3 (297x420mm) \/ Framed map","offer_id":58764567249280,"sku":null,"price":112.95,"currency_code":"EUR","in_stock":true},{"title":"A3 (297x420mm) \/ Framed canvas map","offer_id":58764567282048,"sku":null,"price":0.0,"currency_code":"EUR","in_stock":true},{"title":"16x20in (40x50cm) \/ Map","offer_id":58764567314816,"sku":null,"price":67.95,"currency_code":"EUR","in_stock":true},{"title":"16x20in (40x50cm) \/ Framed map","offer_id":58764567347584,"sku":null,"price":150.95,"currency_code":"EUR","in_stock":true},{"title":"16x20in (40x50cm) \/ Framed canvas map","offer_id":58764567380352,"sku":null,"price":0.0,"currency_code":"EUR","in_stock":true},{"title":"18x24in (45x60cm) \/ Map","offer_id":58764567413120,"sku":null,"price":78.95,"currency_code":"EUR","in_stock":true},{"title":"18x24in (45x60cm) \/ Framed map","offer_id":58764567445888,"sku":null,"price":171.95,"currency_code":"EUR","in_stock":true},{"title":"18x24in (45x60cm) \/ Framed canvas map","offer_id":58764567478656,"sku":null,"price":0.0,"currency_code":"EUR","in_stock":true},{"title":"20x28in (50x70cm) \/ Map","offer_id":58764567511424,"sku":null,"price":89.95,"currency_code":"EUR","in_stock":true},{"title":"20x28in (50x70cm) \/ Framed map","offer_id":58764567544192,"sku":null,"price":257.95,"currency_code":"EUR","in_stock":true},{"title":"20x28in (50x70cm) \/ Framed canvas map","offer_id":58764567576960,"sku":null,"price":289.95,"currency_code":"EUR","in_stock":true},{"title":"A2 (420x594mm) \/ Map","offer_id":58764567609728,"sku":null,"price":78.95,"currency_code":"EUR","in_stock":true},{"title":"A2 (420x594mm) \/ Framed map","offer_id":58764567642496,"sku":null,"price":171.95,"currency_code":"EUR","in_stock":true},{"title":"A2 (420x594mm) \/ Framed canvas map","offer_id":58764567675264,"sku":null,"price":0.0,"currency_code":"EUR","in_stock":true},{"title":"24x30in (60x75cm) \/ Map","offer_id":58764567708032,"sku":null,"price":94.95,"currency_code":"EUR","in_stock":true},{"title":"24x30in (60x75cm) \/ Framed map","offer_id":58764567740800,"sku":null,"price":257.95,"currency_code":"EUR","in_stock":true},{"title":"24x30in (60x75cm) \/ Framed canvas map","offer_id":58764567773568,"sku":null,"price":289.95,"currency_code":"EUR","in_stock":true},{"title":"A1 (594x841mm) \/ Map","offer_id":58764567806336,"sku":null,"price":94.95,"currency_code":"EUR","in_stock":true},{"title":"A1 (594x841mm) \/ Framed map","offer_id":58764567839104,"sku":null,"price":257.95,"currency_code":"EUR","in_stock":true},{"title":"A1 (594x841mm) \/ Framed canvas map","offer_id":58764567871872,"sku":null,"price":289.95,"currency_code":"EUR","in_stock":true},{"title":"28x40in (70x100cm) \/ Map","offer_id":58764567904640,"sku":null,"price":123.95,"currency_code":"EUR","in_stock":true},{"title":"28x40in (70x100cm) \/ Framed map","offer_id":58764567937408,"sku":null,"price":354.95,"currency_code":"EUR","in_stock":true},{"title":"28x40in (70x100cm) \/ Framed canvas map","offer_id":58764567970176,"sku":null,"price":354.95,"currency_code":"EUR","in_stock":true},{"title":"32x40in (80x100cm) \/ Map","offer_id":58764568002944,"sku":null,"price":123.95,"currency_code":"EUR","in_stock":true},{"title":"32x40in (80x100cm) \/ Framed map","offer_id":58764568035712,"sku":null,"price":354.95,"currency_code":"EUR","in_stock":true},{"title":"32x40in (80x100cm) \/ Framed canvas map","offer_id":58764568068480,"sku":null,"price":354.95,"currency_code":"EUR","in_stock":true},{"title":"A0 (841x1189mm) \/ Map","offer_id":58764568101248,"sku":null,"price":177.95,"currency_code":"EUR","in_stock":true},{"title":"A0 (841x1189mm) \/ Framed map","offer_id":58764568134016,"sku":null,"price":820.95,"currency_code":"EUR","in_stock":true},{"title":"A0 (841x1189mm) \/ Framed canvas map","offer_id":58764568166784,"sku":null,"price":772.95,"currency_code":"EUR","in_stock":true},{"title":"40x50in (100x127cm) \/ Map","offer_id":58764568199552,"sku":null,"price":268.95,"currency_code":"EUR","in_stock":true},{"title":"40x50in (100x127cm) \/ Framed map","offer_id":58764568232320,"sku":null,"price":998.95,"currency_code":"EUR","in_stock":true},{"title":"40x50in (100x127cm) \/ Framed canvas map","offer_id":58764568265088,"sku":null,"price":938.95,"currency_code":"EUR","in_stock":true},{"title":"48x60in (120x150cm) \/ Map","offer_id":58764568297856,"sku":null,"price":327.95,"currency_code":"EUR","in_stock":true},{"title":"48x60in (120x150cm) \/ Framed map","offer_id":58764568330624,"sku":null,"price":1502.95,"currency_code":"EUR","in_stock":true},{"title":"48x60in (120x150cm) \/ Framed canvas map","offer_id":58764568363392,"sku":null,"price":1395.95,"currency_code":"EUR","in_stock":true},{"title":"56x70in (142x178cm) \/ Map","offer_id":58764568396160,"sku":null,"price":606.95,"currency_code":"EUR","in_stock":true},{"title":"56x70in (142x178cm) \/ Framed map","offer_id":58764568428928,"sku":null,"price":2119.95,"currency_code":"EUR","in_stock":true},{"title":"56x70in (142x178cm) \/ Framed canvas map","offer_id":58764568461696,"sku":null,"price":2012.95,"currency_code":"EUR","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0257\/0344\/8638\/files\/file_d6392d27-40cb-45bd-ae15-277ec4d26c30.jpg?v=1787585156","url":"https:\/\/uniquemaps.eu\/it\/products\/old-map-of-madison-indiana-by-usgs-1953-hanover-ohio-river-clifty-falls-state-park","provider":"The Unique Maps Co.","version":"1.0","type":"link"}