{"product_id":"old-map-of-grand-rivers-kentucky-by-usgs-1936-cumberland-tennessee-rivers","title":"Old Map of Grand Rivers, Kentucky by USGS, 1936 – Cumberland \u0026 Tennessee Rivers","description":"\u003cp\u003ePublished in 1936 by the United States Geological Survey, the map titled “Grand Rivers” presents a finely observed 1:24,000 topographical portrait of a pivotal corner of western Kentucky. Issued as an advance sheet, it captures the landscape with the purposeful clarity of federal survey work at a moment before major mid-century transformations reshaped the region. Grand Rivers appears near the meeting ground of the Cumberland and Tennessee river systems, a setting whose geography made it naturally important for movement, settlement, and commerce. The map’s measured contours, drainage lines, roads, and land-cover tints together create a vivid record of a riverine landscape poised between rural continuity and the large-scale engineering age that would soon follow.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe US Geological Survey, founded in 1879, brought a disciplined scientific eye to the American landscape, and this sheet reflects the agency’s mature cartographic language. Its topography is not decorative but deeply informative: every contour line, stream course, road, and shaded land category contributes to a practical understanding of place. The USGS created such maps to support engineering, geology, land management, navigation, agriculture, and public works, and the Grand Rivers sheet belongs to that tradition of national mapping as infrastructure. Its elegance lies in precision—the restrained symbology, balanced lettering, and color-coded terrain allow the viewer to read both natural form and human use at a glance.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eGrand Rivers occupies a remarkable geographical position, close to the historic confluence of the Cumberland and Tennessee Rivers, waterways that long served as commercial arteries through the interior South. The map records a landscape structured by water: river bends, drainage features, lowlands, crossings, and roads all speak to the practical realities of travel and trade. Nearby Linton and Dam 52 point to the river-management systems that preceded later, more transformative projects. US Route 62 and local trails and roads thread through the area, revealing how overland routes connected river communities to broader regional networks. In this sense, the sheet is both a map of terrain and a map of circulation.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe topographical character of the Grand Rivers area is especially engaging: broad, flatter river lands give way to more broken and hilly ground, with contour lines articulating each rise, hollow, and slope. Forest cover and other land types are distinguished through light and dark green tones, giving the sheet an immediate visual rhythm and allowing wooded areas to stand apart from cleared or settled ground. This color coding, combined with the fine blue tracery of creeks, rivers, and drainage channels, makes the map unusually legible. The result is a cartographic landscape that feels alive with environmental structure—water shaping settlement, roads following terrain, and elevations quietly governing human movement.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSeen from a historical perspective, “Grand Rivers” is especially evocative because it predates many of the changes now associated with the region. The surrounding country would later be dramatically altered by the creation of Kentucky Lake and by the development of what is now the Land Between the Lakes National Recreation Area, transforming patterns of shoreline, recreation, ecology, and settlement. This 1936 map therefore preserves an earlier arrangement of farms, roads, river infrastructure, wooded tracts, and small communities before the modern recreational landscape emerged. It is a compelling document of western Kentucky at a threshold moment, when longstanding river geography met the coming era of dams, reservoirs, and planned conservation.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eCities, towns and places on this map\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eGrand Rivers, KY\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eLand Between the Lakes National Recreation Area\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eKentucky Lake\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eCumberland River\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eTennessee River\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eLinton\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eDam 52\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eUS Route 62\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eVarious trails and roads\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eBodies of water and drainage features\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eNearby parks and recreational areas\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, this historical 1:24,000 topographical map shows Grand Rivers, Kentucky, and the surrounding area.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThe map was made in 1936.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThe US Geological Survey has produced topographical maps since its founding in 1879, supporting scientific, engineering, and geographic work across the United States.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eGrand Rivers is located at the confluence of the Cumberland and Tennessee Rivers, a historically significant setting for trade and transportation.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThe map clearly delineates topographical features such as elevation contours and forest cover.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eVarying shades of green are used to indicate different land types, including forested and urban areas.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThe area shown includes a mix of flat and hilly terrain, with contour lines marking elevation changes.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eSince 1936, the region has likely experienced changes in land use, development, environmental conditions, and settlement patterns.\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=\"\/it\/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=\"\/it\/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=\"\/it\/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=\"\/it\/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":59906581102976,"sku":null,"price":75.0,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":true},{"title":"12x16in (30x40cm) \/ Framed map","offer_id":59906581135744,"sku":null,"price":201.0,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":true},{"title":"12x16in (30x40cm) \/ Framed canvas map","offer_id":59906581168512,"sku":null,"price":0.0,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":true},{"title":"A3 (297x420mm) \/ Map","offer_id":59906581201280,"sku":null,"price":75.0,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":true},{"title":"A3 (297x420mm) \/ Framed map","offer_id":59906581234048,"sku":null,"price":201.0,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":true},{"title":"A3 (297x420mm) \/ Framed canvas 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