{"product_id":"old-map-of-buffalo-wyoming-by-usgs-1970-bighorn-mountains-clear-creek-lake-desmet","title":"Old Map of Buffalo, Wyoming by USGS, 1970 – Bighorn Mountains, Clear Creek \u0026 Lake DeSmet","description":"\u003cp\u003eTitled “Buffalo,” this US Geological Survey quadrangle presents the city of Buffalo, Wyoming, and its surrounding country with the precision and restraint that made mid-twentieth-century American topographic mapping so authoritative. Published in 1973 using 1970 survey information, it captures Johnson County at a revealing moment, when postwar road networks, rural land use, and the expanding reach of the interstate era were reshaping the High Plains edge of the Bighorn Mountains. At 1:24,000 scale, the map brings streets, drainage, rail lines, roads, and relief into close focus. Buffalo appears not as an isolated frontier town, but as a carefully situated crossroads—anchored by Clear Creek, framed by rising terrain, and connected to regional movement through Interstate 90 and U.S. Route 87.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe US Geological Survey’s cartographic language is both practical and elegant: brown contour lines articulate the land’s rise and fall, blue waterways trace the hydrology, green areas indicate woodland or designated forested ground, and red transportation lines make roads immediately legible. Around Buffalo, these conventions reveal a landscape of transitions. The flatter approaches of the plains give way to broken slopes, draws, and foothill terrain, while the contouring suggests the gradual climb toward the Bighorn high country. For collectors who appreciate the aesthetic of technical cartography, the map’s beauty lies in its discipline: every symbol is purposeful, every curve records measured terrain, and the entire composition transforms survey data into a richly readable portrait of place.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBuffalo itself occupies a storied position in Wyoming history. Founded along routes that linked the plains to the mountain West, it became a key settlement in the Powder River country and later the county seat of Johnson County. The surrounding region evokes layered histories of Indigenous homelands, military roads, cattle drives, homesteading, and range conflict, including the turbulent era remembered through the Johnson County War. Nearby Fort Phil Kearny, associated with the Bozeman Trail and the conflicts of the 1860s, deepens the historical resonance of the map’s geography. Seen through the USGS lens, these places are not romanticized; instead, they are grounded in roads, creeks, ridges, and distances—the physical realities that shaped human movement and settlement.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eClear Creek is among the map’s defining natural features, threading through Buffalo and helping explain the town’s location at the meeting of water, travel, and terrain. To the north and east, the broader landscape gestures toward Lake DeSmet and the open basins of north-central Wyoming; to the west, the land begins its ascent toward the Bighorn Mountains and the rugged country now associated with Cloud Peak Wilderness. The map’s contour lines make this environmental drama visible, showing how valleys, benches, and ridgelines structure the region. Roads and railways overlay that older natural framework, demonstrating how transportation corridors followed feasible grades and watercourses while connecting ranchlands, recreation sites, forests, and small communities.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAs a historical document, “Buffalo” offers a measured snapshot of the early 1970s American West. Interstate 90 and U.S. Route 87 signal the modern mobility of the period, while the mapped town, rural roads, forest boundaries, and recreational sites preserve a view of land use before later decades of development and expansion. Its value lies not only in what it names, but in what it fixes in time: the extent of settlement, the pattern of access, the relationship between town and countryside, and the still-commanding presence of Wyoming’s terrain. For admirers of Western history, scientific mapping, or the understated beauty of topography, this map is a refined and evocative portrait of Buffalo at a pivotal geographic threshold.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eCities, towns and places on this map\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eBuffalo, Wyoming\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eInterstate 90\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eU.S. Route 87\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eCloud Peak Wilderness\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eFort Phil Kearney\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eClear Creek\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eLake DeSmet\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eMultiple roadways and railways\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eDesignated forest areas\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eParks and recreational sites in the vicinity\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eHistorical context \u0026amp; cartographic details\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eProduced by the US Geological Survey, this historical 1:24,000 topographical map shows Buffalo, Wyoming, and the surrounding area.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThe map is dated 1970 and carries a 1973 imprint.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003ePublished by the US Geological Survey, a scientific agency of the United States government known for producing detailed geological maps and research.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThe map uses a traditional topographical style, with contour lines indicating elevation changes.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eA color scheme differentiates land forms, waterways, roads, and other mapped features.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eRoadways are depicted with clear red lines to indicate transportation routes.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThe map illustrates varied terrain, including mountainous areas, valleys, and other elevation changes around the Buffalo region.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eIt provides a snapshot of environmental conditions and land use in Wyoming in the early 1970s.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eLater changes in land use, infrastructure, and urban expansion can be compared against this historical map.\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=\"\/fr\/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=\"\/fr\/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=\"\/fr\/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=\"\/fr\/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":58832097608064,"sku":null,"price":75.0,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":true},{"title":"12x16in (30x40cm) \/ Framed map","offer_id":58832097640832,"sku":null,"price":202.0,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":true},{"title":"12x16in (30x40cm) \/ Framed canvas map","offer_id":58832097673600,"sku":null,"price":0.0,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":true},{"title":"A3 (297x420mm) \/ Map","offer_id":58832097706368,"sku":null,"price":75.0,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":true},{"title":"A3 (297x420mm) \/ Framed map","offer_id":58832097739136,"sku":null,"price":202.0,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":true},{"title":"A3 (297x420mm) \/ Framed canvas 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