Published in 1963 from survey work completed in 1954, the US Geological Survey’s “Medford” presents the Rogue Valley at a fascinating mid-century moment. Centered on Medford and extending to the historic gold-rush town of Jacksonville, the map captures southern Oregon as older mining, farming, and rail landscapes met the expanding infrastructure of the postwar era. Its 1:62,500 scale allows both regional sweep and local detail: towns, roads, railroads, creeks, ridges, and cultivated valleys are all carefully organized within the familiar precision of USGS cartography. The result is not merely a navigational document, but a portrait of place—showing how settlement gathered along Bear Creek, how routes threaded through the valley, and how surrounding uplands shaped the human geography below.

The US Geological Survey brought to this map the institutional rigor that made its topographic sheets indispensable to engineers, planners, foresters, motorists, and outdoor travelers. Founded in 1879, the USGS transformed American mapping through systematic field surveys, standardized symbols, and an ambition to describe terrain with scientific clarity. Here, that discipline is softened by the visual charm of painted topographic relief: green tones suggest vegetation and wooded highlands, while contour lines reveal the measured rise and fall of hills, valleys, buttes, and mountain approaches. Grid lines lend the sheet a practical elegance, turning the landscape into a readable framework without sacrificing its natural character. It is a map designed for use, yet rich enough to reward close contemplation.

Jacksonville is one of the map’s most evocative presences. Established after gold was discovered nearby in the early 1850s, it became one of Oregon’s most important mining towns before gradually yielding regional prominence to Medford, whose rail connections and valley position encouraged later growth. By the time of this survey, Jacksonville had shifted from boomtown to historic community, its nineteenth-century core preserved amid orchards, foothills, and winding roads. The map situates it beautifully within the larger Rogue Valley setting, showing its relationship to Medford, Central Point, and the surrounding creek systems. In that placement, one can read a century of change: mineral rush, agricultural settlement, transportation development, and the emergence of a more modern southern Oregon.

The broader landscape is equally compelling. Medford appears as the principal urban center, with Phoenix, Talent, Ashland, Central Point, and Rogue River marking the populated corridor through the valley. Bear Creek threads south toward Ashland, while Fielder Creek and other smaller waterways articulate the drainage patterns that determined farms, roads, and settlement. Table Rock rises as a landmark of striking geological identity, while Mount McLoughlin anchors the wider horizon with volcanic grandeur. Railroads and highways trace the practical routes through this terrain, including the developing north-south corridor that would become central to modern travel in the region. Forested areas, open lands, valleys, and uplands are differentiated with the quiet authority of mid-century topographic design.

As a historical document, “Medford” preserves a Rogue Valley poised between past and present. The mining legacy of Jacksonville, the agricultural wealth of the valley floor, the railroad-era growth of Medford, and the increasing dominance of automobile routes all coexist on a single, meticulously surveyed sheet. Since the 1950s, the region has seen substantial urban expansion, changes in land use, and evolving transportation networks, making this map especially valuable as a record of an earlier landscape. Its contours and green relief convey the permanence of mountains, creeks, and buttes, while its towns and roads reveal the human patterns of a specific era. It is both a refined cartographic object and a vivid historical window into southern Oregon.

Cities, towns and places on this map

• Medford
• Jacksonville
• Rogue River
• Central Point
• Phoenix
• Talent
• Ashland
• Bear Creek
• Fielder Creek
• Table Rock
• Mount McLoughlin
• Fort Lane
• Various roads, including Interstate 5
• Railroads
• Parks
• Rivers and creeks
• Wooded forest and open land

Historical context & cartographic details

• Historical 1:62,500 topographical map of Jacksonville, Oregon, and the surrounding Medford area
• Created in 1954 and published with a 1963 imprint
• Produced by the US Geological Survey (USGS), known for comprehensive mapping using precise survey data
• Shows Jacksonville, Oregon, a historically significant town associated with the region’s gold mining past
• Features painted topographic relief with green hues representing vegetation and elevation changes
• Includes grid lines for map referencing
• Uses contour lines to show hills, valleys, and varying elevations
• Provides geographical detail useful for navigation and land use planning
• Reflects geographic and urban development in the 1950s
• Captures Jacksonville during its transition from a mining hub to a more established town
• Documents a landscape that may have changed significantly since publication

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 18x24in (45x60cm) 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.