{"product_id":"old-map-of-jefferson-city-missouri-by-usgs-1942-missouri-river-osage-river-lake-of-the-ozarks","title":"Old Map of Jefferson City, Missouri by USGS, 1942 – Missouri River, Osage River \u0026 Lake of the Ozarks","description":"\u003cp\u003ePublished in 1942, the US Geological Survey’s “Jefferson City” presents Missouri’s capital and its surrounding country with the clarity and authority of mid-twentieth-century federal cartography. Drawn at a scale of 1:62,500, it balances regional breadth with precise local detail, showing the city’s position amid the Missouri River landscape and the adjoining counties of Cole and Callaway. The map captures Jefferson City at a moment when roads, railways, river crossings, and expanding urban infrastructure were reshaping the relationship between the capital and its hinterland. Its original title is admirably direct, yet the sheet is rich in information: civic form, transportation corridors, river valleys, uplands, and rural settlement patterns are all rendered within a disciplined topographic framework.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe map was produced by the US Geological Survey, the institution that did more than any other to standardize the mapping of the American landscape. Attributed to T. P. Murphy, W. E. Blair, J. T. Stewart, and their colleagues, it reflects the collaborative fieldwork, surveying, drafting, and verification that defined USGS practice. These maps were not merely navigational tools; they were instruments of governance, engineering, resource management, and planning. In wartime 1942, accurate knowledge of terrain, roads, rail lines, bridges, and waterways carried heightened practical significance. The result is a work of quiet precision, in which every contour, route, and settlement is part of a larger national project to measure and understand the land.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eJefferson City’s setting is one of the map’s great subjects. The Missouri River curves through the composition as both geographic anchor and historical artery, recalling the city’s development along one of North America’s most important waterways. To the south and west, the terrain begins to express the character of the Ozark borderlands, where ridges, hollows, and stream valleys complicate movement and settlement. The Osage River and the broader watershed leading toward the Lake of the Ozarks connect the capital to a wider regional landscape of commerce, recreation, and rural life. Through contour lines, drainage patterns, and road alignments, the map reveals how water and elevation shaped the city’s growth.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe sheet’s topographic design is especially compelling. Contour lines articulate the hills and valleys around Jefferson City with a precision that gives the land a sculptural quality, while differentiated symbols and coloration distinguish built environments, transportation routes, watercourses, and relief. Roads such as U.S. Route 50 and Route 63 appear not simply as lines of travel, but as organizing structures in the regional landscape. Railways trace older patterns of movement and trade, linking the capital to markets and neighboring communities. Within the city center, the concentration of streets and landmarks contrasts with the open countryside beyond, making the map a finely observed portrait of urban and rural Missouri in dialogue.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAs a historical document, “Jefferson City” offers a valuable view of Missouri before the full force of postwar suburbanization, highway expansion, and modern land development transformed the region. It preserves the footprint of mid-century settlement, the courses of older roads and rail lines, and the relationship between the capital city and the agricultural, riverine, and wooded landscapes surrounding it. For collectors, the appeal lies not only in the map’s technical excellence, but in its ability to make a particular time legible. The Jefferson City shown here is both administrative capital and river town, both mapped terrain and lived landscape—a place fixed in ink at a decisive moment in the American century.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eCities, towns and places on this map\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eJefferson City, Missouri\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eOsage River\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eLake of the Ozarks\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eMissouri River\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eCole County\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eCallaway County\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eRoute 50\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eRoute 63\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eVarious roads and railway lines\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eParks and natural reserves, not explicitly named\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eContour lines representing elevation changes\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eNotable landmarks as represented in the city center\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eHistorical context \u0026amp; cartographic details\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eMap title: \u003cem\u003eJefferson City\u003c\/em\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eProduced by the US Geological Survey, USGS\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eCreated in 1942\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eAttributed to T. P. Murphy, W. E. Blair, and J. T. Stewart, among others known for cartographic and geological survey work\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eFeatures a highly detailed topographic design using contour lines to show elevation changes\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eCreated at a scale of 1:62,500, offering a detailed view of hills, valleys, and river systems\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eReflects the geography and infrastructure of mid-20th-century Missouri\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eUseful for assessing changes in land use, development, and urbanization around Jefferson City over time\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":58766881128832,"sku":null,"price":55.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"12x16in (30x40cm) \/ Framed map","offer_id":58766881161600,"sku":null,"price":146.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"12x16in (30x40cm) \/ Framed canvas map","offer_id":58766881194368,"sku":null,"price":0.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"A3 (297x420mm) \/ Map","offer_id":58766881227136,"sku":null,"price":55.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"A3 (297x420mm) \/ Framed map","offer_id":58766881259904,"sku":null,"price":146.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"A3 (297x420mm) \/ Framed canvas map","offer_id":58766881292672,"sku":null,"price":0.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"16x20in (40x50cm) \/ Map","offer_id":58766881325440,"sku":null,"price":88.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"16x20in (40x50cm) \/ Framed map","offer_id":58766881358208,"sku":null,"price":195.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"16x20in (40x50cm) \/ Framed canvas map","offer_id":58766881390976,"sku":null,"price":0.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"18x24in (45x60cm) \/ Map","offer_id":58766881423744,"sku":null,"price":102.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"18x24in (45x60cm) \/ Framed map","offer_id":58766881456512,"sku":null,"price":223.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"18x24in (45x60cm) \/ Framed canvas map","offer_id":58766881489280,"sku":null,"price":0.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"20x28in (50x70cm) \/ Map","offer_id":58766881522048,"sku":null,"price":116.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"20x28in (50x70cm) \/ Framed map","offer_id":58766881554816,"sku":null,"price":334.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"20x28in (50x70cm) \/ Framed canvas map","offer_id":58766881587584,"sku":null,"price":376.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"A2 (420x594mm) \/ Map","offer_id":58766881620352,"sku":null,"price":102.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"A2 (420x594mm) \/ Framed map","offer_id":58766881653120,"sku":null,"price":223.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"A2 (420x594mm) \/ Framed canvas map","offer_id":58766881685888,"sku":null,"price":0.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"24x30in (60x75cm) \/ Map","offer_id":58766881718656,"sku":null,"price":123.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"24x30in (60x75cm) \/ Framed map","offer_id":58766881751424,"sku":null,"price":334.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"24x30in (60x75cm) \/ Framed canvas map","offer_id":58766881784192,"sku":null,"price":376.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"A1 (594x841mm) \/ Map","offer_id":58766881816960,"sku":null,"price":123.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"A1 (594x841mm) \/ Framed map","offer_id":58766881849728,"sku":null,"price":334.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"A1 (594x841mm) \/ Framed canvas map","offer_id":58766881882496,"sku":null,"price":376.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"28x40in (70x100cm) \/ Map","offer_id":58766881915264,"sku":null,"price":160.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"28x40in (70x100cm) \/ Framed map","offer_id":58766881948032,"sku":null,"price":459.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"28x40in (70x100cm) \/ Framed canvas map","offer_id":58766881980800,"sku":null,"price":459.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"32x40in (80x100cm) \/ Map","offer_id":58766882013568,"sku":null,"price":160.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"32x40in (80x100cm) \/ Framed map","offer_id":58766882046336,"sku":null,"price":459.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"32x40in (80x100cm) \/ Framed canvas map","offer_id":58766882079104,"sku":null,"price":459.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"A0 (841x1189mm) \/ Map","offer_id":58766882111872,"sku":null,"price":230.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"A0 (841x1189mm) \/ Framed map","offer_id":58766882144640,"sku":null,"price":1064.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"A0 (841x1189mm) \/ Framed canvas map","offer_id":58766882177408,"sku":null,"price":1002.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"40x50in (100x127cm) \/ Map","offer_id":58766882210176,"sku":null,"price":348.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"40x50in (100x127cm) \/ Framed map","offer_id":58766882242944,"sku":null,"price":1294.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"40x50in (100x127cm) \/ Framed canvas map","offer_id":58766882275712,"sku":null,"price":1217.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"48x60in (120x150cm) \/ Map","offer_id":58766882308480,"sku":null,"price":425.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"48x60in (120x150cm) \/ Framed map","offer_id":58766882341248,"sku":null,"price":1947.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"48x60in (120x150cm) \/ Framed canvas map","offer_id":58766882374016,"sku":null,"price":1808.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"56x70in (142x178cm) \/ Map","offer_id":58766882406784,"sku":null,"price":786.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"56x70in (142x178cm) \/ Framed map","offer_id":58766882439552,"sku":null,"price":2747.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"56x70in (142x178cm) \/ Framed canvas map","offer_id":58766882472320,"sku":null,"price":2608.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0257\/0344\/8638\/files\/file_961f13eb-a857-48e9-8a8e-8c585222d0a5.jpg?v=1787613272","url":"https:\/\/uniquemaps.com\/products\/old-map-of-jefferson-city-missouri-by-usgs-1942-missouri-river-osage-river-lake-of-the-ozarks","provider":"The Unique Maps Co.","version":"1.0","type":"link"}