Published in 1932 by the United States Geological Survey, “Holland” presents a finely detailed topographical portrait of the Lake Michigan shore in western Michigan, centered on the Dutch-American city of Holland and its surrounding townships. At a scale of 1:62,500, the map balances regional breadth with local precision, extending across portions of Ottawa and Allegan Counties to include Holland, Zeeland, Saugatuck, Grand Haven, Ferrysburg, and the intricate waters of Lake Macatawa, Black Lake, and Lake Michigan. Its classic USGS language of contour lines, blue hydrography, road networks, railways, and township boundaries captures the landscape before later waves of suburban growth, shoreline development, and environmental alteration reshaped the region.

The mapmaker, the United States Geological Survey, was by 1932 already more than half a century into its mission of systematically mapping the nation’s terrain, resources, and settlement patterns. Founded in 1879, the USGS brought scientific rigor to American cartography, and this sheet reflects that institutional discipline in its measured contours, careful labeling, and understated but information-rich design. Rather than merely naming places, the map describes the underlying structure of the land: dunes, lowlands, wooded areas, roads, rail corridors, agricultural divisions, and shorelines. The result is a document of both geography and governance, showing how federal mapping translated complex regional landscapes into a standardized visual language for engineers, planners, travelers, and citizens.

Holland itself appears as the focal point of the map, its grid-like street pattern set beside the waters of Lake Macatawa and close to the great expanse of Lake Michigan. Founded by Dutch immigrants in the nineteenth century, Holland retained a strong cultural identity that would become closely associated with tulips, windmills, churches, schools, and the celebrated Tulip Time Festival. In this 1932 landscape, however, the city is also seen as a practical lakeside community shaped by transportation, agriculture, and water access. Roads and railways converge around the urban core, while nearby Zeeland and Park Township suggest a broader pattern of settlement tied to farming, trade, and regional mobility.

The shoreline geography is especially compelling, with Lake Michigan forming the commanding western edge of the mapped area and a chain of parks, beaches, and coastal settlements marking the transition between inland farms and open water. Places such as Lake Shore, Tunnel Park, North Shore Park, and Camp Blodgett evoke the recreational and institutional uses of the lakeshore during the early twentieth century. Southward, Saugatuck appears near the Kalamazoo River corridor, a community long associated with dunes, artists, maritime activity, and summer visitors. Northward, Grand Haven and Ferrysburg lie near river and lake routes that made the coast a vital zone of movement, commerce, and leisure.

Cartographically, “Holland” is a superb example of the USGS topographic tradition, using contour lines to reveal subtle elevation changes across a landscape often perceived as flat. The map distinguishes water in blue, settlement and transport in crisp linework, and land use through a restrained but legible palette, allowing agricultural areas, urban grids, wetlands, woodlands, and shore features to be read at a glance. Township names such as Robinson, Olive, and Park anchor the map in the civic geography of rural Michigan, while county lines clarify administrative divisions. As a historical record, it preserves a 1930s view of a lakeside region poised between agrarian life, small-city industry, transportation networks, and the expanding recreational culture of the Great Lakes.

Cities, towns and places on this map

• Holland
• Saugatuck
• Grand Haven
• Zeeland
• Ferrysburg
• Black Lake
• Lake Macatawa
• Lake Michigan
• Camp Blodgett
• Lake Shore
• Tunnel Park
• North Shore Park
• Robinson Township
• Olive Township
• Park Township
• Ottawa County
• Allegan County
• Streets and railways connecting the towns
• County lines and water features

Historical context & cartographic details

• Produced by the US Geological Survey, this historical 1:62,500 topographical map shows Holland, Michigan, and the surrounding area.
• Created in 1932.
• Published by the United States Geological Survey, an agency established in 1879 and long associated with detailed mapping and geological survey work in the United States.
• The map reflects the USGS focus on topographical accuracy and landscape detail.
• Holland is known for its Dutch heritage, annual Tulip Time Festival, and location near Lake Michigan.
• The map uses a traditional topographic style, including contour lines to show elevation changes.
• Water bodies are shown in blue, with hydrographic details clearly marked.
• The color scheme distinguishes land and water, as well as vegetation, land use, agricultural areas, and urban areas.
• The community layout of Holland is highlighted through grid-like street patterns.
• The map captures the region in the early 20th century, before later urban development and environmental changes after the 1930s.

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.