The U.S. Geological Survey’s 1908 map titled “Foxburg” presents a finely observed portrait of a Pennsylvania landscape at the beginning of the twentieth century, published from survey work completed in the same year. Drawn at the practical and richly detailed scale of 1:62,500, it belongs to the USGS quadrangle tradition: maps made not merely to locate places, but to explain terrain. Foxburg, Parker, Richland, Salem, Fairview, and nearby rural settlements appear within a landscape shaped by river corridors, wooded hills, and winding country roads. The map captures a moment when small towns, river landings, farms, trails, and transportation routes formed the connective tissue of regional life, offering an elegant record of Pennsylvania before the full dominance of the automobile age.

As a product of the U.S. Geological Survey, “Foxburg” reflects one of the most influential cartographic institutions in American history. Founded in 1879, the USGS brought scientific rigor to the mapping of the nation, standardizing methods of topographic representation that became essential to engineers, geologists, landowners, planners, and travelers. By 1908, its maps had achieved a distinctive visual language: precise contours, carefully lettered settlements, differentiated watercourses, and restrained color used to clarify rather than embellish. This map stands firmly in that tradition. Its authority lies in its measured detail, but its appeal is also aesthetic: a balanced composition of names, lines, rivers, roads, and relief that transforms surveyed data into a compelling image of place.

The Allegheny River is one of the map’s defining features, carving a sinuous course through the terrain and anchoring the towns that developed along its banks. Foxburg and Parker, both historically tied to river commerce and western Pennsylvania’s resource economy, are shown in relation to smaller communities and local routes threading through the valleys. Streams such as Lizard Creek and named localities including Tobermory, Salem, Fairview, and Richland help reveal the dense rural geography of the region. Islands, bends, creek mouths, and crossings become important cartographic events, reminding the viewer that settlement patterns followed water, grade, and access. The result is a map that tells a subtle story of movement, livelihood, and landscape.

The topographic character of the map is especially engaging. Contour lines describe a terrain of hills, hollows, ridges, and valleys, allowing the viewer to read the land almost three-dimensionally. Their close spacing marks steeper slopes, while broader intervals indicate gentler ground suitable for farms, roads, or settlement. This traditional topographical style is complemented by a restrained palette that distinguishes landforms and water bodies, giving clarity to the map’s complex geography. The use of shading and contouring adds depth without theatricality, emphasizing the practical intelligence of the design. For collectors, these details are part of the map’s charm: it is both a scientific document and a beautifully ordered visualization of natural form.

Historically, the map preserves a landscape in transition. In 1908, Pennsylvania’s towns and countryside were shaped by river navigation, rail links, extractive industries, agriculture, and emerging modern infrastructure. The roads and trails shown here evoke an era when local movement still closely followed the contours of the land, and when smaller communities held strong regional importance. Comparing this map with the modern landscape reveals changes in transportation, settlement, land use, and environmental character. Yet the essential geography—the Allegheny River, the valleys, the ridges, the creek systems—remains legible. “Foxburg” is therefore more than a location map; it is a historical snapshot of place, rendered with the precision and quiet beauty of early twentieth-century American cartography.

Cities, towns and places on this map

• Easton
• Foxburg
• Richland
• Parker
• Allegheny River
• Delaware River
• Salem
• Brenner's Island
• Fairview
• Lizard Creek
• Tobermory
• Several unnamed valleys and hills indicated by contour lines
• Country roads and trails in the area surrounding Easton
• Various landmarks associated with the rivers and towns

Historical context & cartographic details

• Published by the U.S. Geological Survey in 1908
• Based on survey data from 1908
• Scale: 1:62,500
• Produced in the reliable topographical mapping style associated with the U.S. Geological Survey
• Uses contour lines to show elevation changes, hills, valleys, and varied terrain
• Includes a traditional topographical design with a color palette distinguishing landforms and water bodies
• Shading adds depth to the landscape portrayal and helps clarify the geographic context
• Reflects early 20th-century cartographic techniques and the Pennsylvania landscape of the period
• Serves as a historical snapshot of how urban and natural landscapes have changed since the early 1900s

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.