{"product_id":"old-map-of-bloomington-indiana-by-usgs-1956-indiana-university-ellettsville","title":"Old Map of Bloomington, Indiana by USGS, 1956 – Indiana University \u0026 Ellettsville","description":"\u003cp\u003ePublished in 1958 from survey data gathered in 1956, the “Bloomington Quadrangle” captures a pivotal mid-century moment in south-central Indiana. Produced by the United States Geological Survey at the precise 1:24,000 quadrangle scale, it presents Bloomington not as an abstract city plan, but as a landscape of streets, ridges, creeks, campuses, farms, and wooded hills. The USGS’s disciplined cartographic language gives the map both scientific authority and visual elegance: urban areas are crisply emphasized, terrain is modeled through contour lines, and waterways and vegetation are carefully distinguished. As a historical portrait, it records Bloomington before later decades of suburban growth, highway expansion, and environmental transformation reshaped the city’s margins.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBloomington’s urban core is one of the map’s most compelling features, rendered with a clarity that makes the city’s mid-century structure immediately legible. The street grid, principal roads, and built-up areas stand out in red, giving visual prominence to the civic heart of the quadrangle. Indiana University appears as a defining landmark, anchoring the city’s eastern side and reminding us of the institution’s long influence on Bloomington’s geography, economy, and identity. Around the denser urban fabric, smaller roads, lanes, and rural routes radiate outward into the surrounding countryside. The result is a richly layered view of a college town at a moment when its urban footprint remained closely interwoven with fields, woodlots, and creek valleys.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe topography surrounding Bloomington is shown with the understated sophistication characteristic of USGS mapping. Contour lines trace the rolling hills and shallow valleys of Monroe County, revealing a landscape shaped by drainage, limestone country, and gradual elevation changes rather than dramatic peaks. Clear Creek, Jackson Creek, and numerous smaller tributaries thread through the quadrangle, their courses helping explain the placement of roads, settlements, and low-lying agricultural land. Small lakes, wetlands, and wooded tracts add texture to the terrain, while color distinctions help separate open land, vegetation, water, and urban development. For anyone interested in reading the land beneath the city, the map offers a remarkably detailed guide to Bloomington’s natural setting.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBeyond Bloomington itself, the quadrangle includes neighboring places and transitional landscapes that deepen its historical appeal. Ellettsville appears to the northwest, connected by roads that speak to the regional movement of people, goods, and daily life. Liggett Heights and other smaller named areas preserve a more local geography, the kind often overlooked in broader state maps. Major routes, including U.S. Route 37 and State Road 46, provide the framework for mid-century mobility, while numerous smaller roads and trails reveal a more intimate rural network. The map balances urban growth with surrounding farmland, forest, and stream valleys, making it a valuable record of how Bloomington related to its wider Monroe County landscape.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAs a USGS production, the “Bloomington Quadrangle” belongs to one of America’s most important mapping traditions. The agency’s topographic maps were essential tools for engineers, planners, geologists, conservationists, and travelers, combining field survey, scientific measurement, and refined graphic design. In this 1956 landscape, one can see Bloomington before many later changes: expanded residential subdivisions, altered transportation corridors, and the regional transformation associated with the later creation of Lake Monroe to the southeast. The map therefore functions not only as a geographic document, but as a historical benchmark. It preserves the relationship between town, university, forest, creek, and countryside at a moment when Bloomington was poised between small-city character and modern expansion.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eCities, towns and places on this map\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eBloomington, Indiana\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eEllettsville\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eClear Creek\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eLiggett Heights\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eLake Monroe\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eHoosier National Forest\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eJackson Creek\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eIndiana University\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eBloomington's urban area outlines\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eSeveral small lakes and wetlands\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eMajor highways and roads, including U.S. Route 37 and State Road 46\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eNumerous smaller roads and trails\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eStreams and tributaries running through the area\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eParks and natural reserves\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eHistorical context \u0026amp; cartographic details\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThe map is titled \u003cstrong\u003eBloomington Quadrangle\u003c\/strong\u003e.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eProduced by the \u003cstrong\u003eUnited States Geological Survey (USGS)\u003c\/strong\u003e.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eHistorical \u003cstrong\u003e1:24,000 topographical map\u003c\/strong\u003e of Bloomington, Indiana and the surrounding area.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eSurvey data was collected in \u003cstrong\u003e1956\u003c\/strong\u003e, and the map was published with a \u003cstrong\u003e1958 imprint\u003c\/strong\u003e.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThe USGS has played a major role in topographical mapping, natural resource assessment, and environmental studies in the United States.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eShows Bloomington and its surrounding rural and urban landscape in the mid-20th century.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eFeatures color-coded topography indicating elevation, vegetation, and land-use differences.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eBloomington’s urban layout is highlighted in red.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eUses contour lines to show elevation changes.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eDepicts natural features such as hills, valleys, streams, and surrounding terrain.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eReflects how Bloomington’s urban and rural areas have changed over time, including shifts in land use and population density.\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=\"\/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=\"\/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=\"\/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=\"\/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":58764564365696,"sku":null,"price":76.0,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":true},{"title":"12x16in (30x40cm) \/ Framed map","offer_id":58764564398464,"sku":null,"price":203.0,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":true},{"title":"12x16in (30x40cm) \/ Framed canvas map","offer_id":58764564431232,"sku":null,"price":0.0,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":true},{"title":"A3 (297x420mm) \/ Map","offer_id":58764564464000,"sku":null,"price":76.0,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":true},{"title":"A3 (297x420mm) \/ Framed map","offer_id":58764564496768,"sku":null,"price":203.0,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":true},{"title":"A3 (297x420mm) \/ Framed canvas 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