Published in 1975 using survey data from 1971, the US Geological Survey’s “Due West Quadrangle” presents a finely measured portrait of Due West, South Carolina, and its surrounding countryside at a moment of quiet transition. The title itself evokes the distinctive place-name at the heart of the sheet, a small community set amid the rolling terrain of the South Carolina Piedmont. At a scale of 1:24,000, the map offers an intimate level of geographic detail, showing roads, waterways, contours, and settlement patterns with the precision for which USGS quadrangles are renowned. It is both a practical survey document and a historical snapshot, preserving the texture of a local landscape as it appeared in the early 1970s.

The US Geological Survey brought to this map nearly a century of institutional expertise in scientific mapping, land measurement, and topographic representation. Founded in 1879, the USGS became the principal authority for documenting the physical geography of the United States, producing maps that served engineers, planners, geologists, hikers, military users, and civic authorities alike. In the “Due West Quadrangle,” that tradition is visible in the disciplined graphic language of the sheet: contour intervals trace the rise and fall of the land, road classifications distinguish routes of travel, and hydrographic symbols mark the presence of rivers, streams, and other water features. The result is a map that communicates the landscape with restrained elegance and technical authority.

Due West occupies the central focus of the quadrangle, its roads and built features situated within a wider pattern of hills, valleys, and rural routes. The map shows the town not as an isolated point, but as part of an interconnected Piedmont landscape shaped by settlement, agriculture, waterways, and local movement. The surrounding roads and pathways reveal the practical geography of daily life: how residents traveled between farms, homes, churches, schools, and neighboring communities. Such details give the map a documentary richness, capturing the spatial organization of a small South Carolina town before later decades of development altered many rural and semi-rural places across the American South.

The topographic character of the map is especially compelling. Well-marked contour lines record the undulating terrain characteristic of this part of South Carolina, where gentle ridges, shallow valleys, and drainage courses shape the land. The Little River is among the notable natural features depicted, contributing to the hydrological pattern that defines the quadrangle. Streams, lowlands, and elevations are not merely background details; they explain the placement of roads, the distribution of settlement, and the use of land. For anyone attentive to landscape history, these contours transform the map into a readable terrain model, revealing how geology and water quietly influence human geography.

As a historical document, the “Due West Quadrangle” offers more than locational accuracy: it preserves a precise view of land use and infrastructure in the early 1970s. Its roads, paths, water features, and elevation data allow meaningful comparison with present-day maps, making visible the gradual effects of expansion, rerouting, forest change, and development. The USGS quadrangle format is celebrated for exactly this quality—its ability to combine scientific clarity with a deep sense of place. In this map, Due West and its environs emerge as a landscape of measured contours and local connections, rendered with the understated beauty of American topographic cartography.

Cities, towns and places on this map

• Due West, South Carolina
• Little River
• Local roads connecting surrounding areas
• Hills and valleys
• Streams or small lakes
• Possible forested areas marked by shading
• Identifiable landmarks shown by legend symbols or map labels

Historical context & cartographic details

• Produced by the US Geological Survey (USGS).
• Historical topographic map using survey data from 1971 and published in 1975.
• Rendered at a detailed 1:24,000 scale.
• Contour lines show elevation changes and terrain variation.
• Displays hilly, varied terrain along with water features and pathways.
• Provides a 1970s snapshot of the landscape, useful for comparing land use and development changes over time.

Looking for a particular place? Review the detailed images to confirm that the town, landmark or feature you have in mind appears on the map. If you are unsure, ask our workshop to check before you order.

Detailed 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.

This map looks amazing at sizes all the way up to 50in (125cm). If you are looking for a larger map, please get in touch.

The model in the listing images is holding the 16x20in (40x50cm) version of this map.

Where personalisation is available, you can add a short title or dedication, mark one meaningful place, or request one considered visual detail. See personalised map examples.

Every 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.

With 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 rare old and vintage maps to discover another place, period or style.

This map is also available as a float framed canvas, sometimes known as a shadow gap framed canvas or canvas floater. The map is printed on artist's cotton canvas and then stretched over a handmade box frame. We then "float" the canvas inside a wooden frame, which is available in a range of colours (black, dark brown, oak, antique gold and white). This is a wonderful way to present a map without glazing in front. See some examples of float framed canvas maps and explore the differences between my different finishes.

For something truly unique, this map is also available in "Unique 3D", our trademarked process that dramatically transforms the map so that it has a wonderful sense of depth. We combine the original map with detailed topography and elevation data, so that mountains and the terrain really "pop". For more info and examples of 3D maps, check my Unique 3D page.