Rare Old Map of El Dorado, Arkansas by USGS, 1927 – Smackover, Junction City & Union County
My maps are rare, museum-grade, restored old maps sourced from libraries, auction houses and private collections across the globe. Full description
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Choose two eligible works and receive 20% off both. Choose three and the lowest-priced one is complimentary, a maximum saving of 33%.
Mix and match eligible standard maps and fine-art prints. No code is required; the offer is applied automatically at checkout.
Standard made-to-order configurations are included. Bespoke sizes, personalised designs and commissioned work are excluded.
Need delivery to different addresses? Contact us before ordering.The Collector’s Offer
Choose two eligible works and receive 20% off both. Choose three and the lowest-priced one is complimentary, a maximum saving of 33%.
Mix and match eligible standard maps and fine-art prints. No code is required; the offer is applied automatically at checkout.
Standard made-to-order configurations are included. Bespoke sizes, personalised designs and commissioned work are excluded.
Need delivery to different addresses? Contact us before ordering.
Restored in London • Printed and framed in Canada
My maps are rare, museum-grade, restored old maps sourced from libraries, auction houses and private collections across the globe. Full description
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Gift message & custom finish
If you want to add a gift message, or a finish (jigsaw, aluminium board, etc.) that is not available here, please request it in the "order note" when you check out.
Every order is custom made, so if you need the size adjusted slightly, or printed on an unusual material, just let us know. We've done thousands of custom orders over the years, so there's (almost) nothing we can't manage.
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Published by the United States Geological Survey in 1927, “El Dorado” presents southern Arkansas at the practical and elegant scale of 1:62,500,...
Continue readingPublished by the United States Geological Survey in 1927, “El Dorado” presents southern Arkansas at the practical and elegant scale of 1:62,500, capturing a region in the midst of profound economic transformation. Centered on El Dorado in Union County, the map records a landscape where town streets, country roads, rail lines, creek bottoms, and wooded ridges are arranged with the disciplined clarity characteristic of USGS topographic work. Its title is deceptively simple, yet evocative: El Dorado was no mere county seat by the late 1920s, but a boomtown whose name had become inseparable from oil, timber, and the rapid modernization of the Arkansas borderlands.
The map belongs to the great USGS tradition of scientific land depiction, in which beauty emerges from precision. Fine contour lines trace the modest but meaningful relief of the Gulf Coastal Plain, revealing low hills, shallow valleys, drainage courses, and the subtle rises on which roads and settlements often took hold. Unlike decorative commercial maps, this sheet was designed to measure and explain the land, making its visual language especially compelling: every line has purpose, every label a geographic argument. Roads, railways, lakes, and natural features are integrated into a coherent portrait of terrain, movement, and settlement in late-1920s Union County.
El Dorado itself anchors the sheet, a city whose fortunes changed dramatically after the 1921 oil discovery that made southern Arkansas one of the most important petroleum regions in the United States. Nearby Smackover, shown to the north, was at the center of the famous Smackover oil field, a name that became synonymous with wildcat drilling, derricks, refineries, and sudden prosperity. The map’s network of roads and railways hints at the infrastructure needed to serve this extractive economy, connecting wells, camps, mills, depots, and markets. It is a cartographic snapshot of a place where geology directly reshaped human ambition.
Beyond El Dorado and Smackover, the map includes a constellation of towns that defined the surrounding region: Junction City near the Louisiana line, Huttig to the east, Strong to the north, and Calion along the waterways and timber lands. These communities speak to another major force in southern Arkansas history: lumber. Dense forests, sawmill towns, rail spurs, and riverine transport corridors made timber one of the area’s foundational industries before and alongside oil. The careful labeling of settlements and transportation routes preserves the geography of an industrial rural world, where small towns were tied closely to natural resources and regional trade.
As a historical document, “El Dorado” offers more than a record of place names; it preserves a moment when the old timber frontier and the new petroleum economy overlapped. Its contouring reveals the physical stage on which that history unfolded, while its roads, railways, towns, lakes, and drainage patterns show how people adapted the land for commerce, travel, and extraction. For collectors interested in Arkansas, American energy history, or the artistry of federal cartography, this map is especially rich. It captures El Dorado not as an abstract point on a state map, but as a living landscape of industry, settlement, and terrain.
Cities, towns and places on this map
- El Dorado
- Junction City
- Huttig
- Strong
- Calion
- Smackover
- Union County
- Arkansas River
- Various lakes
- Numerous roads and railways
- Parks and natural reserves in the surrounding area
- Potential industrial sites related to oil and timber
Historical context & cartographic details
- Published by the US Geological Survey (USGS) in 1927.
- Historical topographical map at a scale of 1:62,500, showing El Dorado, Arkansas, and its surroundings.
- El Dorado is noted for its resource extraction history, particularly oil and lumber.
- Features intricate contour lines representing elevation changes.
- Clearly labels towns, roads, and natural features.
- Shows the natural terrain of the area, including hills, valleys, and bodies of water.
- Provides insight into the landscape and infrastructure of El Dorado in the late 1920s.
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.
Published by the United States Geological Survey in 1927, “El Dorado” presents southern Arkansas at the practical and elegant scale of 1:62,500, capturing a region in the midst of profound economic transformation. Centered on El Dorado in Union County, the map records a landscape where town streets, country roads, rail lines, creek bottoms, and wooded ridges are arranged with the disciplined clarity characteristic of USGS topographic work. Its title is deceptively simple, yet evocative: El Dorado was no mere county seat by the late 1920s, but a boomtown whose name had become inseparable from oil, timber, and the rapid modernization of the Arkansas borderlands.
The map belongs to the great USGS tradition of scientific land depiction, in which beauty emerges from precision. Fine contour lines trace the modest but meaningful relief of the Gulf Coastal Plain, revealing low hills, shallow valleys, drainage courses, and the subtle rises on which roads and settlements often took hold. Unlike decorative commercial maps, this sheet was designed to measure and explain the land, making its visual language especially compelling: every line has purpose, every label a geographic argument. Roads, railways, lakes, and natural features are integrated into a coherent portrait of terrain, movement, and settlement in late-1920s Union County.
El Dorado itself anchors the sheet, a city whose fortunes changed dramatically after the 1921 oil discovery that made southern Arkansas one of the most important petroleum regions in the United States. Nearby Smackover, shown to the north, was at the center of the famous Smackover oil field, a name that became synonymous with wildcat drilling, derricks, refineries, and sudden prosperity. The map’s network of roads and railways hints at the infrastructure needed to serve this extractive economy, connecting wells, camps, mills, depots, and markets. It is a cartographic snapshot of a place where geology directly reshaped human ambition.
Beyond El Dorado and Smackover, the map includes a constellation of towns that defined the surrounding region: Junction City near the Louisiana line, Huttig to the east, Strong to the north, and Calion along the waterways and timber lands. These communities speak to another major force in southern Arkansas history: lumber. Dense forests, sawmill towns, rail spurs, and riverine transport corridors made timber one of the area’s foundational industries before and alongside oil. The careful labeling of settlements and transportation routes preserves the geography of an industrial rural world, where small towns were tied closely to natural resources and regional trade.
As a historical document, “El Dorado” offers more than a record of place names; it preserves a moment when the old timber frontier and the new petroleum economy overlapped. Its contouring reveals the physical stage on which that history unfolded, while its roads, railways, towns, lakes, and drainage patterns show how people adapted the land for commerce, travel, and extraction. For collectors interested in Arkansas, American energy history, or the artistry of federal cartography, this map is especially rich. It captures El Dorado not as an abstract point on a state map, but as a living landscape of industry, settlement, and terrain.
Cities, towns and places on this map
- El Dorado
- Junction City
- Huttig
- Strong
- Calion
- Smackover
- Union County
- Arkansas River
- Various lakes
- Numerous roads and railways
- Parks and natural reserves in the surrounding area
- Potential industrial sites related to oil and timber
Historical context & cartographic details
- Published by the US Geological Survey (USGS) in 1927.
- Historical topographical map at a scale of 1:62,500, showing El Dorado, Arkansas, and its surroundings.
- El Dorado is noted for its resource extraction history, particularly oil and lumber.
- Features intricate contour lines representing elevation changes.
- Clearly labels towns, roads, and natural features.
- Shows the natural terrain of the area, including hills, valleys, and bodies of water.
- Provides insight into the landscape and infrastructure of El Dorado in the late 1920s.
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.
Many of our maps and art prints are chosen as thoughtful gifts for homes, offices, studies and meaningful places.
Choose a framed option for the easiest ready-to-hang gift, or choose an unframed print if the recipient may prefer to select their own frame.
We make orders locally in 23 countries around the world, so gifts can often be produced close to the recipient. This helps them arrive faster, travel more safely, and avoid customs or import duty surprises.
- We can deliver directly to the recipient
- Framed pieces arrive ready to hang
- Unframed prints are carefully packed in a strong protective tube
- Almost every order is made locally, for faster, safer gifting
- 90-day returns give the recipient time to decide
If you are not sure what to choose, please contact us. We can help you pick the right map, size, finish or delivery option.
Most orders are made locally and delivered in around 2–3 working days, depending on the product, size and destination.
We print and frame maps and artwork in 23 countries around the world, so your order is usually made close to you or your recipient. That means faster delivery, less time in transit, and no customs or import duty surprises.
Personalised and customised pieces usually take an extra 1–2 working days, because we prepare your design and send it to you for approval before printing.
Very large framed orders can take a little longer, as they need extra care in production and delivery.
Every order is carefully packaged: unframed prints are sent in a strong protective tube, while framed pieces are securely packed with protective materials around the frame.
If you need your order by a particular date, please contact us before ordering. We’ll check the best production route and delivery option for your location.
Express delivery is available at checkout for most countries. Next-day delivery is available in the UK, US, Singapore and the UAE.
Your order is covered by our 90-day returns policy and 10-year guarantee.
Our standard frame is a gallery-style black ash hardwood frame, with a simple, modern look. It is approximately 20mm (0.8in) wide. You can also view some lovely customer photos of framed maps and art.
We use super-clear acrylic glazing, also known as Perspex or Acrylite, instead of traditional glass. It is lighter, safer, and has lower reflectivity, giving the artwork a clearer, cleaner appearance.
Six standard frame colours are available at no extra cost: black, dark brown, dark grey, oak, white, and antique gold. Custom framing and mounting/matting is also available for customers looking for something more specific.
Most maps, art prints, and illustrations are also available as a framed canvas. We use matte cotton canvas, stretch it over a sustainably sourced wooden box frame, and then float the piece within a wooden outer frame. The finished result is beautifully presented, with no glazing between you and the artwork.
All frames are supplied ready to hang, with either string or brackets fitted to the back. Very large frames will include heavy-duty hanging plates and/or a mounting baton. If you have any questions, please get in touch.
We can also supply old maps and artwork on canvas, foam board, cotton rag, and other materials.
If you would prefer to frame your map or artwork yourself, please read our size guide before ordering.
Every Unique Maps piece begins with an authentic cartographic source or an original design from our London studio.
For our historic maps, we source rare originals from libraries, archives, auction houses and private collections around the world. We carefully restore each map for print—repairing age-related damage, balancing colour and improving clarity while preserving its original detail, texture and character.
Once restored, the map is prepared for your chosen size and finish. Your piece is then printed and, where selected, framed close to its delivery destination.
Our map prints use acid-free 200gsm archival matte paper and fade-resistant pigment inks, creating a rich, non-glossy finish designed to last. Framed maps use crystal-clear optical acrylic and arrive ready to hang.
Canvas, cotton-rag and other specialist presentations are also available. Learn more about our materials and finishes.
Personalising your map
You can add a short title or dedication, mark one meaningful place, or request one considered visual detail. For personalised designs, we send a proof before printing and you can request changes before approval.
For more complex bespoke commissions, contact our design team.
Original or Aged
Choose Original for true-to-source colour, or Aged for a warmer, richer antique character created with our specialist ageing process. See examples of our Aged maps.
We’ve been restoring and producing maps and art prints since 1984, and we stand behind every piece.
Every order is covered by our 10-year guarantee and damage-free delivery guarantee. If your piece arrives damaged, we’ll replace or remake it free of charge. If anything else isn’t right, contact our workshop team and we’ll put it right promptly.
See our returns and refund policy for full details.
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