{"product_id":"old-map-of-kirkwood-missouri-by-usgs-1940-valley-park-river-des-peres-gravois-creek","title":"Old Map of Kirkwood, Missouri by USGS, 1940 – Valley Park, River Des Peres \u0026 Gravois Creek","description":"\u003cp\u003eIssued by the U.S. Geological Survey in 1940, the map titled “Kirkwood” presents a finely observed 1:24,000 topographical portrait of Kirkwood, Missouri, and its surrounding landscape at a pivotal moment in the region’s development. Situated southwest of St. Louis, Kirkwood appears here not simply as a town, but as part of a broader network of ridges, valleys, roads, railways, creeks, and emerging suburban settlement. The map includes nearby Valley Park, the River Des Peres, Gravois Creek, sections of woodland, and local parks, all rendered through the disciplined visual language of USGS cartography. It captures a landscape where natural drainage patterns and human infrastructure meet, offering a richly detailed view of suburban Missouri before the dramatic postwar expansion of the St. Louis metropolitan area.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe U.S. Geological Survey brought to this map the authority of an institution central to the scientific mapping of the United States. Founded in 1879, the USGS became indispensable to government planning, land management, engineering, mineral assessment, water studies, transportation, and public safety. Its topographical quadrangles were designed to be practical and precise, but they also possess a quiet elegance: a standardized system of symbols, colors, contour intervals, and place names that turns terrain into readable knowledge. In “Kirkwood,” that disciplined approach reveals both the built and natural fabric of the area. Roads, railroads, streams, settlements, wooded tracts, and elevation changes are carefully distinguished, allowing the viewer to understand how communities occupied and adapted to the land.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe topographic character of the Kirkwood area is especially compelling. Rather than a flat urban sheet, the map shows a subtly varied terrain of rolling hills, shallow valleys, creek bottoms, and drainage corridors typical of eastern Missouri near the Mississippi watershed. Contour lines trace the rise and fall of the ground, giving shape to ridges and slopes that would have influenced road placement, settlement, farming, and later suburban construction. The River Des Peres and Gravois Creek form important hydrological features, their courses suggesting the natural pathways through which water moved across the landscape before later channelization, development, and flood-control projects altered many parts of the region. The result is a map alive with environmental structure.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eKirkwood itself, one of the historic communities of the St. Louis area, is shown amid a broader pattern of transportation and settlement. Railways and roads are not merely incidental markings; they are evidence of the forces that shaped the town’s growth and its connection to St. Louis. Kirkwood’s nineteenth-century identity as a railroad suburb and planned residential community is echoed in the map’s dense network of routes and built features. Valley Park appears nearby, positioned in relation to creek valleys, roads, and industrial or transport corridors. Parks and wooded areas add another layer of interest, suggesting the persistence of open land and recreational spaces within a landscape increasingly organized by mobility, commerce, and suburban expansion.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe map’s visual design follows classic USGS conventions, using contour lines, symbol systems, and color coding to separate landforms, waterways, roads, railroads, settlements, and vegetation. These details make the map both technically useful and historically evocative. Its 1940 date is significant: it records Kirkwood and its surroundings just before World War II and before the enormous suburban transformation that would reshape much of St. Louis County in the following decades. As a historical document, it offers a benchmark for comparing past and present landscapes—where creeks ran, where forests remained, how roads connected communities, and how settlement was distributed. “Kirkwood” is therefore not only a topographical survey, but a precise snapshot of place, infrastructure, and regional change.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eCities, towns and places on this map\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eKirkwood, Missouri\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eValley Park\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eRiver Des Peres\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eGravois Creek\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eNearby parks\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eVarious roads and railways\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eSections of nearby forests\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 1:24,000 topographical map shows Kirkwood, Missouri, and the surrounding area.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eCreated in 1940.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003ePublished by the US Geological Survey (USGS).\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThe USGS produced reliable topographical maps for government and commercial uses, including land use, resource management, and public safety.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThe map features contour lines for elevation change, shaded relief for terrain visualization, and symbols indicating roads, waterways, and settlements.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThe cartographer used distinct symbols and color coding to differentiate land types and human-made structures, such as railroads and highways.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThe map shows rolling hills and valleys typical of the region.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eIt reflects the geographical and infrastructural conditions of the area in 1940, providing a comparison point for later development in Kirkwood and surrounding areas.\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=\"\/es\/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=\"\/es\/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=\"\/es\/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=\"\/es\/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":58766907310464,"sku":null,"price":84.0,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":true},{"title":"12x16in (30x40cm) \/ Framed map","offer_id":58766907343232,"sku":null,"price":225.0,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":true},{"title":"12x16in (30x40cm) \/ Framed canvas map","offer_id":58766907376000,"sku":null,"price":0.0,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":true},{"title":"A3 (297x420mm) \/ Map","offer_id":58766907408768,"sku":null,"price":84.0,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":true},{"title":"A3 (297x420mm) \/ Framed map","offer_id":58766907441536,"sku":null,"price":225.0,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":true},{"title":"A3 (297x420mm) \/ Framed canvas 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