Published in 1973 from 1971 survey work, the US Geological Survey’s “Indianola” captures a revealing moment in the reshaping of eastern Oklahoma’s river country. At a precise 1:24,000 scale, the map centers on the Lake Eufaula region, where the broad impounded waters of the Canadian River had become one of the defining features of the landscape. The sheet records not only the lake’s sinuous shoreline, coves, and adjoining creeks, but also the surrounding settlements, roads, bends, and rural terrain as they stood in the early 1970s. Places such as Indianola, Eufaula, Old Eufaula, River Bend, and Constitution Bend give the map a strong local character, anchoring a modern reservoir landscape in older patterns of habitation and movement.

The US Geological Survey, founded in 1879, brought to this map nearly a century of institutional expertise in measuring, classifying, and depicting the American landscape. USGS topographic maps became indispensable tools for engineers, scientists, planners, landowners, and travelers, valued for their clarity and disciplined accuracy. In “Indianola,” that tradition is evident in the careful integration of contour lines, hydrography, transportation routes, and place names. The map is not merely a guide to location, but a scientific portrait of terrain: hills are rendered through fine elevation contours, streams trace the drainage network, and color differentiates water, vegetation, and developed areas. Its authority lies in this elegant compression of field observation, survey data, and cartographic design.

Lake Eufaula dominates the composition, spreading across the map as a vast branching body of water fed by the Canadian River and numerous smaller channels. Its coves and inlets reach into the surrounding countryside, touching places associated with Brushy Creek, Caney Creek, Fountain Creek, Trapper Creek, Shoal Creek, and Gunter Fork. The resulting shoreline is intricate and dynamic, revealing how water reshaped former valleys and lowlands after the creation of the reservoir. As one of Oklahoma’s largest lakes, Lake Eufaula transformed the region’s economy, ecology, and patterns of recreation. This map preserves the lake at an early stage in its history, when its relationship to nearby farms, roads, and communities was still being newly defined.

Beyond the water, the “Indianola” quadrangle evokes the varied topography of the Choctaw prairie and the uplands edging the Canadian River basin. Contour lines show gentle rises, slopes, and stream-cut hollows, allowing the viewer to read the land almost as if walking across it. Names such as High Bridge and Constitution Bend suggest crossings, turns, and landmarks shaped by both geography and local memory. The map’s depiction of rural roads and dispersed settlement patterns conveys a landscape neither wholly wild nor urbanized, but deeply worked and inhabited. It is a record of Oklahoma’s interior spaces: prairie, creek bottom, reservoir shore, and small community, all linked by watercourses and roads.

As a historical document, this map offers a snapshot of eastern Oklahoma during a period of postwar infrastructure, reservoir development, and changing land use. The presence of Old Eufaula is especially evocative, hinting at earlier settlement patterns affected by the creation of Lake Eufaula and by the broader transformation of the Canadian River corridor. For collectors, historians, and those with ties to the region, the sheet carries both geographic precision and emotional resonance. It records where roads ran, how creeks entered the lake, which names endured, and how the terrain appeared at a particular moment in the early 1970s. “Indianola” is thus both a technical achievement and a quietly compelling portrait of place.

Cities, towns and places on this map

• Lake Eufaula
• Canadian River
• Choctaw prairie
• Eufaula
• River Bend
• Gunter Fork
• Brushy Creek
• Caney Creek
• Old Eufaula
• Fountain Creek
• Trapper Creek
• Indianola
• Constitution Bend
• High Bridge
• Shoal Creek

Historical context & cartographic details

• Produced by the US Geological Survey, this historical 1:24,000 topographical map shows Lake Eufaula in Oklahoma and the surrounding area.
• Created in 1971 and published with a 1973 imprint.
• The US Geological Survey has provided reliable geographic information and mapping services throughout the United States since its establishment in 1879.
• Lake Eufaula is prominently featured and is significant as one of the largest lakes in Oklahoma.
• The map uses contour lines and color variations to depict elevation changes, land use, and the area’s topography.
• Hydrographic details show the shape of Lake Eufaula and nearby rivers and creeks.
• The map provides a snapshot of the early 1970s landscape, including geographical features that may have changed due to later development or natural processes.

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.