{"product_id":"old-map-of-gig-harbor-washington-by-usgs-1942-tacoma-puget-sound-fox-island","title":"Old Map of Gig Harbor, Washington by USGS, 1942 – Tacoma, Puget Sound \u0026 Fox Island","description":"\u003cp\u003ePublished in 1954 from survey work undertaken in 1942, the US Geological Survey’s “Gig Harbor Quadrangle” captures a compelling wartime-era portrait of Washington’s Puget Sound country. At a scale of 1:62,500, the map presents Gig Harbor and its surrounding shores with the clarity and discipline characteristic of mid-twentieth-century federal cartography. Contour lines move confidently across the peninsula’s rolling terrain, while waterways, roads, settlements, and ferry connections are rendered with crisp, readable precision. The result is a richly informative view of a landscape poised between rural maritime life and the accelerating regional development that would transform the Tacoma–Gig Harbor corridor in the decades after World War II.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe US Geological Survey brought to this map the institutional rigor that made its quadrangles indispensable to engineers, planners, geologists, foresters, and travelers. Founded in the late nineteenth century, the USGS became the preeminent American authority on topographic mapping, translating field surveys into systematic representations of landform and infrastructure. In this quadrangle, that tradition is evident in the careful balance between scientific measurement and visual elegance. Elevation is not merely indicated but sculpted through contours, allowing the viewer to sense the rise and fall of hills around Gig Harbor, the slopes descending toward Henderson Bay, and the complex margins where land meets the branching waters of Puget Sound.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe map’s geography is particularly engaging because it centers on one of Washington’s most distinctive maritime settings. Gig Harbor appears as a sheltered community shaped by water, timbered uplands, and the protected coves that made the area attractive to fishermen, boatbuilders, and settlers. Nearby Fox Island, Green Point, Carr Inlet, and Henderson Bay create an intricate coastal pattern of channels, peninsulas, and islands. To the east, Tacoma anchors the broader urban landscape, while Point Defiance marks a prominent natural and civic landmark at the edge of the sound. The inclusion of the Fox Island Ferry evokes an era when local movement still depended heavily on boats and shoreline connections.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAs a topographic document, the “Gig Harbor Quadrangle” is especially effective in revealing the region’s varied physical character. The contouring shows a landscape of notable elevation changes rather than a flat coastal plain, with ridges, slopes, and lowlands arranged around bays and inlets. Small streams and unnamed waterways thread through the terrain, feeding into sheltered arms of Puget Sound and shaping settlement patterns along roads and trails. The bright color scheme and clean line work reflect the practical beauty of USGS design: landforms, transportation routes, populated places, and hydrographic features are separated with enough clarity to invite both close study and immediate appreciation.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHistorically, this map preserves a moment before the full force of postwar suburbanization altered the western shore of the Tacoma Narrows and the communities around Gig Harbor. Roads and trails shown here suggest a more lightly developed landscape, one still closely tied to ferries, shorelines, and local routes. Tacoma’s presence hints at the region’s industrial and urban gravity, while the surrounding bays and islands retain the quieter character of mid-century Puget Sound. For collectors, the map offers more than geographic information: it is a snapshot of infrastructure, settlement, and terrain at a turning point, documenting a Pacific Northwest landscape on the verge of profound change.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eCities, towns and places on this map\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eGig Harbor\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eTacoma\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eAnderson Island\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eHenderson Bay\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003ePuget Sound\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eFox Island\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eGreen Point\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eCarr Inlet\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eFox Island Ferry\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003ePoint Defiance\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eVarious roads and trails throughout the region\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eSeveral unnamed rivers and small waterways\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eHistorical context \u0026amp; cartographic details\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eProduced by the US Geological Survey, this historical topographical map details Gig Harbor, Washington, and the surrounding area.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThe map uses survey data from 1942 and carries a 1954 imprint.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003ePublished by the US Geological Survey, an organization with a long history of producing topographical maps for natural resource management, land use planning, emergency response, and other applications.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThe map employs a scale of 1:62,500.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eContour lines clearly indicate elevation changes across the landscape.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eBright colors and clear line work enhance the readability of geographical features and infrastructure.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThe cartographic style reflects clean, organized mid-20th-century USGS map design.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThe topography shows significant elevation changes, along with surrounding bays and inlets.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThe map reflects the geographical and infrastructural development of the 1940s, before later urbanization and environmental changes altered areas such as Gig Harbor and Tacoma.\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":58832112812416,"sku":null,"price":54.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"12x16in (30x40cm) \/ Framed map","offer_id":58832112845184,"sku":null,"price":145.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"12x16in (30x40cm) \/ Framed canvas map","offer_id":58832112877952,"sku":null,"price":0.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"A3 (297x420mm) \/ Map","offer_id":58832112910720,"sku":null,"price":54.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"A3 (297x420mm) \/ Framed map","offer_id":58832112943488,"sku":null,"price":145.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"A3 (297x420mm) \/ Framed canvas 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