{"product_id":"old-map-of-duluth-minnesota-by-usgs-1953-lake-superior-superior-bay-st-louis-river","title":"Old Map of Duluth, Minnesota by USGS, 1953 – Lake Superior, Superior Bay \u0026 St. Louis River","description":"\u003cp\u003ePublished in 1955 by the United States Geological Survey using survey data from 1953, “Duluth” presents one of Minnesota’s most dramatic urban landscapes with scientific clarity and quiet elegance. The city is shown rising steeply from the western tip of Lake Superior, its streets and neighborhoods rendered in red against a carefully modeled terrain of greens, blues, and contour lines. This is Duluth at mid-century: a port city shaped by industry, rail connections, maritime commerce, and the formidable geography of the lake. The map captures the relationship between the built environment and the land itself, where the urban grid must negotiate bluffs, ravines, river mouths, and the long sweep of shoreline.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe US Geological Survey was, by the 1950s, the authoritative cartographic institution for precise American topographic mapping, and this sheet reflects its mature mid-century style. Contours articulate the steep ascent from Lake Superior into the hills above Duluth, while shaded green areas mark parks, wooded spaces, and less-developed terrain. Blue waterways thread through the composition, emphasizing the city’s dependence on hydrology and harbor geography. Urbanized zones, picked out in red, form a vivid lattice along the lakefront and inland slopes. The result is both utilitarian and beautiful: a technical document that also reads as a portrait of a city shaped by elevation, water, and human ambition.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eLake Superior dominates the map’s eastern edge, giving Duluth its orientation, economy, and atmosphere. The shoreline bends around Superior Bay, where sheltered waters, docks, channels, and low-lying margins reveal the city’s role as a major Great Lakes port. Canal Park and the waterfront district sit near the crucial passage between lake and harbor, while Minnesota Point extends like a narrow natural breakwater, separating the open lake from the calmer bay. This distinctive sand spit is one of the map’s most striking geographic features, emphasizing the delicate balance between natural coastal formation and engineered maritime access at the head of the Great Lakes.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eInland, the topography becomes increasingly expressive. The contour lines tighten and curve across the slopes above the city, tracing hills, valleys, and ravines that have long defined Duluth’s neighborhoods and transportation routes. Spirit Mountain appears as part of this rugged western landscape, a reminder that the city is not merely a lake port but also a place of pronounced vertical drama. The St. Louis River and associated wetlands around Grassy Point mark a different kind of terrain: low, watery, ecologically rich, and industrially significant. Streams and smaller watercourses, shown in blue, descend toward the lake and bay, stitching the high ground to the harbor below.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAs a historical document, this 1955 USGS map preserves Duluth at a moment of postwar growth and transition. The dense urban grid reflects established neighborhoods and commercial corridors, while surrounding green spaces and undeveloped slopes suggest the limits and possibilities of future expansion. Since the survey year of 1953, changes in transportation, industry, shoreline use, and environmental management have transformed many parts of the city and waterfront. Yet the map makes clear the enduring structure beneath those changes: Lake Superior, Superior Bay, Minnesota Point, the St. Louis River, and the steep hillside setting. It is a refined topographic record of a city inseparable from its extraordinary landscape.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eCities, towns and places on this map\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eDuluth\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eLake Superior\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eSuperior Bay\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eCanal Park\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eMinnesota Point\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eSt. Louis River\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eGrassy Point\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eSpirit Mountain\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eVarious neighborhoods as depicted in the urban grid\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eParks and green spaces indicated in green shading\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eStreams and smaller water bodies shown with blue lines\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eHistorical context \u0026amp; cartographic details\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eMap title: Duluth\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eProduced by the US Geological Survey, with data from 1953 and published in 1955\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThe US Geological Survey is a scientific agency of the U.S. government, known for producing detailed topographical and geological maps using precise survey methods\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThe map prominently features the populated area of Duluth, Minnesota, along with surrounding landscapes\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eUses topographical shading to reflect elevation changes, with a color scheme including greens, reds, and blues\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eContour lines indicate elevation, while urban areas are highlighted in red\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eShows significant topographical variation, including hills, valleys, and the shoreline of Lake Superior\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eReflects the urban development and natural features of Duluth in the mid-1950s\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eSince publication, urban expansion and environmental changes may have altered parts of the landscape\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=\"\/es\/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=\"\/es\/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=\"\/es\/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=\"\/es\/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":58767123054976,"sku":null,"price":76.0,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":true},{"title":"12x16in (30x40cm) \/ Framed map","offer_id":58767123087744,"sku":null,"price":203.0,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":true},{"title":"12x16in (30x40cm) \/ Framed canvas map","offer_id":58767123120512,"sku":null,"price":0.0,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":true},{"title":"A3 (297x420mm) \/ Map","offer_id":58767123153280,"sku":null,"price":76.0,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":true},{"title":"A3 (297x420mm) \/ Framed map","offer_id":58767123186048,"sku":null,"price":203.0,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":true},{"title":"A3 (297x420mm) \/ Framed canvas 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