Titled “Burnet,” this US Geological Survey topographical map presents the Texas Hill Country around Burnet as surveyed in 1909 and issued with a 1949 imprint, preserving an early twentieth-century view of a landscape on the cusp of modern transformation. At a scale of 1:125,000, it situates Burnet within a broader regional setting of hills, river valleys, roads, rail lines, and scattered settlements. The map’s original purpose was practical and scientific: to record elevation, drainage, transportation, and settlement with the precision needed by engineers, geologists, land planners, and travelers. Today, it reads equally as a historical document, capturing the region before later waves of suburban expansion, reservoir development, highway improvement, and recreational growth reshaped central Texas.

The US Geological Survey, established in 1879, became one of America’s most influential mapping institutions, charged with measuring and interpreting the nation’s terrain, mineral resources, water systems, and natural hazards. Its topographical sheets were admired for their clarity, consistency, and scientific authority, and this Burnet map reflects that tradition. Contour lines articulate the rugged relief surrounding the town, while roads, railways, streams, and place names form a layered portrait of human activity within a demanding landscape. The cartography is restrained but highly expressive: subtle tonal variation distinguishes terrain, and the carefully drawn linework allows the viewer to understand both the shape of the land and the routes by which people moved through it.

Burnet lies in the heart of the Texas Hill Country, a region defined by limestone uplands, granite outcrops, dry creeks, and dramatic changes in elevation. The map’s hilly and mountainous topography is one of its most compelling features, with closely spaced contours revealing ridges, slopes, and peaks around the town. These landforms shaped patterns of settlement, ranching, quarrying, and travel, making the terrain itself a central historical actor. Nearby Marble Falls appears within the mapped region, along with smaller settlements and rural routes that once tied courthouse towns, farms, and ranches together. The result is a richly textured view of central Texas before the dense modern road network made the Hill Country more readily accessible.

Water is a dominant presence on the map, especially through the course of the Colorado River and the later-associated landscapes of Lake Buchanan and Inks Lake. These waterways are essential to understanding Burnet County’s history, as they influenced settlement, agriculture, transportation, and eventually hydroelectric and recreational development. The Colorado River corridor cuts through the region’s rugged terrain, creating natural passages, fertile bottoms, and strategic crossings. In the twentieth century, dam construction and reservoir creation would profoundly alter the area, turning parts of the river system into a chain of lakes. Seen in this cartographic context, the map evokes both the natural drainage patterns of the Hill Country and the coming era of engineered water landscapes.

The transportation details give the map particular historical resonance. Roads and trails weave through the hills, while rail connections and emerging highway corridors indicate the evolving infrastructure that linked Burnet to broader Texas commerce. Modern landmarks such as U.S. Highway 281 and Texas State Highway 29 help orient the viewer within a familiar geography, yet the surrounding network speaks to an earlier period of travel, when routes followed terrain more intimately and communities developed around practical access to water, rail, and county roads. Over time, population growth, tourism, quarrying, ranching, and lake development transformed the Burnet area. This map preserves the region at a revealing moment, balancing frontier inheritance with the infrastructure of modern Texas.

Cities, towns and places on this map

• Burnet, Texas
• Lake Buchanan
• Colorado River
• Inks Lake
• Marble Falls
• U.S. Highway 281
• Texas State Highway 29
• Several marked roads and trails
• Various unnamed hills and peaks
• Multiple other small towns and landmarks shown in the detailed road network

Historical context & cartographic details

• Produced by the US Geological Survey (USGS)
• Historical 1:125,000 topographical map of Burnet, Texas and the surrounding area
• Dated 1909 with a 1949 imprint
• The USGS has been a key provider of geological and hydrological information in the United States since its establishment in 1879
• Uses contour lines in varying shades to show elevation changes
• Subtle color variations indicate different types of terrain
• Carefully illustrates the area’s road and rail network
• Shows the hilly and mountainous terrain surrounding Burnet
• Serves as a historical snapshot of the region’s early 20th-century landscape
• Reflects later changes in land use, population growth, and infrastructure expansion in the Burnet area

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.