{"product_id":"old-map-of-port-townsend-washington-by-usgs-1953-discovery-bay-fort-worden-state-park","title":"Old Map of Port Townsend, Washington by USGS, 1953 – Discovery Bay \u0026 Fort Worden State Park","description":"\u003cp\u003ePublished in 1976 from 1953 survey data, the US Geological Survey’s “Port Townsend South” presents a richly detailed portrait of the northeastern Olympic Peninsula before later waves of suburban expansion and changing land use. At the precise 1:24,000 scale, the map captures Port Townsend, Discovery Bay, Glen Cove, and the coast along the Strait of Juan de Fuca with the clarity and authority that made USGS quadrangles indispensable. Its clean mid-century design balances practical readability with quiet elegance: roads, trails, shorelines, waterways, and settlement patterns are rendered with disciplined precision, while contour lines give the land an immediate sculptural presence. As a historical document, it preserves a moment when the region’s maritime identity, rural landscapes, and rugged topography remained especially legible.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe US Geological Survey brought to this map nearly a century of national cartographic expertise. Founded in 1879, the agency became the United States’ preeminent authority on topographical and geological mapping, producing maps that served engineers, planners, naturalists, military users, hikers, and local communities alike. “Port Townsend South” belongs to that great tradition of systematic landscape measurement, where every contour, road, shoreline, and benchmark contributes to a larger scientific portrait of place. Unlike decorative maps made primarily for display, USGS quadrangles were designed to be used, trusted, and read closely. Their beauty lies in their rigor: a refined visual language in which color, line, and symbol transform complex terrain into an intelligible and enduring record of the American landscape.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ePort Townsend itself gives the map much of its historical resonance. Set on a commanding waterfront position, the city grew in the nineteenth century as a seaport and customs hub, its fortunes tied to shipping, timber, military activity, and the maritime routes of Puget Sound. During the Klondike Gold Rush, Port Townsend served as one of the departure points for prospectors and supplies heading north, part of the wider Pacific Northwest network feeding dreams of Alaskan fortune. The map records the city and its environs not through romantic embellishment, but through the exacting vocabulary of topography—streets, coastlines, harbor approaches, and nearby uplands. For admirers of Victorian Port Townsend, it offers a grounded geographical setting for the architecture and seafaring culture that still define the town.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe surrounding landscape is equally compelling, with Discovery Bay, nearby hills and valleys, and the intricate coastal edge of Jefferson County all carefully described. Bold elevation coloring and clear contour intervals reveal the terrain’s transitions from sheltered shoreline to rising ground, expressing the physical drama of the Olympic Peninsula’s northeastern edge. The contour work is especially important here, where ridges, slopes, and valleys influence travel routes, settlement patterns, drainage, and views toward the Strait of Juan de Fuca. Roads and trails thread through this varied land, connecting Port Townsend with Glen Cove, Discovery Bay, and the rural interiors beyond. The result is a map that reads both as a navigational tool and as a study in the relationship between human movement and coastal topography.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFort Worden State Park and Port Townsend State Park add further layers of cultural and natural interest. Fort Worden, once part of the strategic coastal defense system guarding Puget Sound, anchors the map in the military history of the Pacific Northwest, while the state parks speak to the region’s enduring recreational and scenic value. The 1953 survey data is particularly evocative because it captures the area before many later transformations, preserving earlier road alignments, settlement density, and land-use patterns. Across the map, the meeting of land and water is central: bays, coves, headlands, and coastal routes shape both the visual composition and the human story. “Port Townsend South” is therefore not merely a topographic sheet, but a finely observed historical landscape of seaport heritage, strategic geography, and Pacific Northwest terrain.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eCities, towns and places on this map\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003ePort Townsend\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eDiscovery Bay\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003ePort Townsend State Park\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eGlen Cove\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eFort Worden State Park\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eJefferson County\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eVarious roads and trails\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eNearby hills and valleys\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eCoastline along the Straits of Juan de Fuca\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 as a historical 1:24,000 topographical map of Port Townsend, Washington and the surrounding area.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eDated 1953, with a 1976 imprint.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThe USGS is a scientific agency of the U.S. government, known for its geological and topographical mapping across the United States.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003ePort Townsend is historically significant as a 19th-century seaport and is known for its Victorian architecture.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003ePort Townsend played an important role during the Klondike Gold Rush as a departure point for prospectors.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThe map uses bold colors for elevation changes, with contour lines clearly indicating topography.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eIt features a clean layout typical of USGS maps from that era, designed for easy interpretation of geographic features.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThe map shows varied elevations, with detailed contour lines depicting hills and valleys in the rugged regional terrain.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThe 1953 survey data reflects the area before significant urban development and land-use changes, offering insight into the natural landscape and early 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=\"\/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":58832141779328,"sku":null,"price":75.0,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":true},{"title":"12x16in (30x40cm) \/ Framed map","offer_id":58832141812096,"sku":null,"price":202.0,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":true},{"title":"12x16in (30x40cm) \/ Framed canvas map","offer_id":58832141844864,"sku":null,"price":0.0,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":true},{"title":"A3 (297x420mm) \/ Map","offer_id":58832141877632,"sku":null,"price":75.0,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":true},{"title":"A3 (297x420mm) \/ Framed map","offer_id":58832141910400,"sku":null,"price":202.0,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":true},{"title":"A3 (297x420mm) \/ Framed canvas 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