{"product_id":"old-map-of-chico-california-by-usgs-1949-sacramento-river-butte-creek","title":"Old Map of Chico, California by USGS, 1949 – Sacramento River \u0026 Butte Creek","description":"\u003cp\u003ePublished in 1953 from 1949 topographic work, the US Geological Survey’s “Chico” presents northern California at a moment when the Sacramento Valley still held a finely balanced relationship between town, farm, river, and foothill. Centered on the city of Chico, the map records a landscape where the regular geometry of agricultural lands gives way eastward to the rising contours of the Sierra Nevada foothills. At 1:62,500 scale, it offers both regional breadth and local precision, capturing roads, railroads, waterways, settlements, and terrain with the disciplined clarity for which mid-century USGS cartography is admired. The result is a richly informative portrait of Chico and its hinterland before later decades of expansion reshaped the valley floor.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe US Geological Survey brought to this map the institutional rigor that made its quadrangles indispensable to engineers, planners, travelers, and land managers across the United States. Founded in the nineteenth century to survey the nation’s geology and natural resources, the USGS developed a cartographic language in which every contour, stream course, road, and boundary served a practical purpose. In “Chico,” that language is especially elegant: elevation shading and contour lines describe the gradual lift from the Sacramento Valley toward the foothills, while symbols for vegetation and land use reveal the changing character of the ground. It is a map built for utility, yet its ordered composition gives it a quiet aesthetic authority.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe hydrography is one of the map’s great strengths. The Sacramento River, the defining artery of the valley, anchors the broader geography, while Butte Creek and a network of smaller tributaries articulate the local terrain. These watercourses are not incidental features; they explain settlement, agriculture, transportation, and the region’s ecological richness. The contours around creeks and drainage lines show how water shaped the alluvial lowlands and the broken edges of the foothills. In the mid-twentieth century, such detail was vital for understanding floodplains, irrigation possibilities, road placement, and rural development. Viewed today, the map preserves a layered image of a working watershed in an era before modern sprawl altered many of its edges.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eChico itself appears as the principal urban presence, set within a matrix of orchards, fields, roads, and rail connections that speak to its role as a service and transportation hub for the surrounding countryside. Nearby highways and railroad lines trace the corridors through which agricultural produce, timber, supplies, and people moved across the valley. Beyond the city, the map distinguishes open farmland from forested areas and parks, allowing the viewer to read the region as both cultivated and wild. The contrast is striking: a gridded and productive valley floor, crossed by infrastructure, rising toward rougher, wooded uplands. This juxtaposition gives the map much of its historical texture and visual appeal.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAs a document of 1949 geography with a 1953 imprint, “Chico” captures a transitional postwar California—modernizing, increasingly mobile, yet still deeply rural in form. Its careful topographic treatment shows the physical constraints and possibilities that shaped subsequent growth: river systems, hill slopes, transportation routes, and the distribution of arable land. For collectors, the map is compelling not merely because it locates a place, but because it records a landscape at a particular historical threshold. The cartographer’s elevation shading lends depth and atmosphere, while the precise contour work reveals the disciplined observational culture of the USGS. It is both a practical survey and a refined historical portrait of Chico’s region.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eCities, towns and places on this map\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eChico\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eSierra Nevada foothills\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eSacramento River\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eButte Creek\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eVarious rivers and tributaries\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eAgricultural lands\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eForested areas and parks\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eNearby highways and railroads\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eHistorical context \u0026amp; cartographic details\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eProduced by the US Geological Survey, this historical 1:62,500 topographical map shows Chico, California and the surrounding area.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThe map was made in 1949 and published with a 1953 imprint.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThe US Geological Survey is known for producing accurate topographic maps used for recreation, land-use planning, and resource management.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThe map features a clear layout with elevation shading to show topographic changes and vegetation types.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eContour lines emphasize elevation changes across river systems, hills, and valley landscapes.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThe map reflects the geography of the era, including patterns of urban development and land use around Chico since 1949.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThe elevation shading contributes to a classic topographic style, highlighting the area’s contours and river systems.\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=\"\/de\/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=\"\/de\/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=\"\/de\/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=\"\/de\/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":59894214623616,"sku":null,"price":83.0,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":true},{"title":"12x16in (30x40cm) \/ Framed map","offer_id":59894214656384,"sku":null,"price":223.0,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":true},{"title":"12x16in (30x40cm) \/ Framed canvas map","offer_id":59894214689152,"sku":null,"price":0.0,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":true},{"title":"A3 (297x420mm) \/ Map","offer_id":59894214721920,"sku":null,"price":83.0,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":true},{"title":"A3 (297x420mm) \/ Framed map","offer_id":59894214754688,"sku":null,"price":223.0,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":true},{"title":"A3 (297x420mm) \/ Framed canvas 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