{"product_id":"old-map-of-atchison-kansas-by-usgs-1926-missouri-river-marshall-missouri","title":"Old Map of Atchison, Kansas by USGS, 1926 – Missouri River \u0026 Marshall, Missouri","description":"\u003cp\u003ePublished in 1926 by the United States Geological Survey, “Atchison” presents the city of Atchison, Kansas, and its surrounding country with the disciplined clarity of early twentieth-century scientific cartography. Drawn at the practical scale of 1:62,500, the map balances civic detail with regional geography, showing the urban grid, transportation corridors, agricultural lands, and the defining course of the Missouri River. Its title is admirably direct, in the USGS tradition, naming the principal place while allowing the sheet itself to reveal a wider landscape of river bottoms, uplands, roads, railways, and rural settlement. The result is both a geographic record and a historical portrait of a Midwestern river city at a moment when rail connections, farming, and riverine commerce still shaped everyday life.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe US Geological Survey brought to this map the institutional precision for which it became internationally respected. Founded in the late nineteenth century, the USGS transformed American mapping by combining field survey, geology, hydrology, and standardized cartographic design into authoritative topographical sheets. In “Atchison,” that rigor appears in the clean lettering, measured contouring, and careful hierarchy of information: waterways, roads, railroads, settlements, and relief are all legible without competing for attention. Brown contour lines articulate the rises and depressions of the terrain, while the color-coded convention of the period separates land, water, and cultural features with quiet efficiency. It is a map made for use, yet its restrained design gives it a refined visual elegance.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAtchison itself occupies a historically significant position on the Kansas side of the Missouri River. Founded in the 1850s and closely associated with westward expansion, river trade, and later railroad development, the city became one of northeastern Kansas’s important gateways. The map captures that layered geography: an urban center pressed against a major waterway, connected by roads and rail lines to the surrounding agricultural interior. The Missouri River is more than a boundary or blue line here; it is the organizing force of the landscape, shaping settlement, transportation, lowlands, and crossings. On the Missouri side, the map situates Atchison within a broader regional network, with places such as Marshall contributing to the larger geographic context of river country and rural communities.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe topographic character of the sheet is especially engaging, because it shows how dramatically the land changes around what might otherwise appear to be a simple agricultural district. The Missouri River valley creates broad bottoms and floodplain margins, while nearby higher ground is expressed through closely spaced contours, revealing bluffs, slopes, and drainage patterns. Small creeks and tributaries cut through the countryside, their courses helping explain the placement of farms, roads, and railways. The surrounding agricultural lands are not depicted as abstract emptiness, but as terrain shaped by water, elevation, access, and use. Through this combination of natural and human geography, the map allows the viewer to read the practical decisions behind settlement and cultivation.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAs a 1926 document, “Atchison” offers a compelling view of northeastern Kansas before many later transformations in highways, suburban growth, and river management altered the region’s appearance. The roads and railways shown reflect an era when rail transport remained central to rural economies and small cities, linking farm production with markets beyond the county and state. The map preserves the relationship between Atchison’s urban fabric and the open countryside that sustained it, while also recording a landscape still closely tied to topography and water. Its historical value lies not only in what it names, but in what it quietly measures: elevation, distance, access, and the enduring influence of the Missouri River on human settlement.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eCities, towns and places on this map\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eAtchison, Kansas\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eMarshall, Missouri\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eMissouri River\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eSurrounding agricultural lands\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eVarious roads and railways within the area\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.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003ePublished in 1926.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eHistorical topographical map at a scale of 1:62,500.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eDepicts Atchison, Kansas, and the surrounding area.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eFeatures color-coded topography to show elevations and depressions.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eUses brown tones to represent higher terrain.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eReflects early 20th-century cartographic conventions, with clean lines and easy-to-read labels.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eIncorporates detailed contour lines to indicate elevation changes.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eProvides insight into the geographical layout and development of Atchison during the early 20th century.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eReflects historical land use and urban development that may have changed significantly in later decades.\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=\"\/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=\"\/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=\"\/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=\"\/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":58764578259328,"sku":null,"price":55.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"12x16in (30x40cm) \/ Framed map","offer_id":58764578292096,"sku":null,"price":146.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"12x16in (30x40cm) \/ Framed canvas map","offer_id":58764578324864,"sku":null,"price":0.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"A3 (297x420mm) \/ Map","offer_id":58764578357632,"sku":null,"price":55.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"A3 (297x420mm) \/ Framed map","offer_id":58764578390400,"sku":null,"price":146.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"A3 (297x420mm) \/ Framed canvas 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