Titled “Hazel,” this U.S. Geological Survey topographical map captures Murray, Kentucky and its surrounding countryside as recorded in 1951, with a later 1962 imprint. At a detailed 1:24,000 scale, it offers an intimate view of Calloway County’s settlement patterns, roads, rail lines, fields, woodlands, and waterways during a period when rural western Kentucky was balancing agricultural continuity with postwar modernization. Murray appears as the principal populated place, while Hazel and smaller hamlets anchor the surrounding landscape. The map’s precise contours and careful symbolization transform a local geography into a richly legible historical document, preserving the shape of the land and the human imprint upon it in the mid-twentieth century.

The map was produced by the U.S. Geological Survey, the federal scientific agency whose systematic mapping program became one of the great cartographic achievements of modern America. USGS quadrangles such as this were created not merely for orientation, but for engineering, planning, agriculture, resource management, and environmental understanding. Their authority lies in their disciplined observation: roads are classified, waterways traced, buildings and settlements placed with care, and elevation translated into a language of contour lines. In “Hazel,” that precision gives the viewer a measured portrait of western Kentucky’s terrain, where modest rises, shallow valleys, drainage channels, and cultivated openings are rendered with the quiet rigor characteristic of the Survey’s best mid-century work.

Murray, the map’s dominant urban feature, appears as a regional center embedded in a broader rural matrix. Its street grid, transportation links, and surrounding roads show the town’s role as a hub for nearby farms and smaller communities. Hazel, situated to the south near the Tennessee border, provides a second point of historical interest, suggesting the local networks of movement and commerce that connected villages, rail corridors, agricultural land, and county roads. The inclusion of rural lanes and rail lines is especially evocative, recording patterns of everyday mobility before later highway expansion and suburban growth altered the region’s circulation. The result is a finely grained view of place, community, and infrastructure.

The cartographic design is classic USGS: restrained, legible, and visually elegant. Greens indicate wooded or vegetated areas, while lighter tones distinguish open terrain, cultivated fields, and settled ground. Contour lines give the map its sculptural quality, revealing changes in elevation across an otherwise gently rolling landscape. Hills, valleys, drainage routes, lakes, and streams emerge not as decorative features, but as measured components of a living environment. This clarity allows the viewer to read both natural form and human use at once: forests against cleared farmland, roads following practical alignments, settlements occupying favorable ground, and water shaping the surrounding countryside. It is a map designed for accuracy, yet rich in visual atmosphere.

As a historical record, “Hazel” preserves a moment in western Kentucky before many subsequent changes in development, land use, transportation, and recreation reshaped the area. The pattern of forest and cleared agricultural land speaks to the region’s working landscape, while lakes, rivers, and small communities hint at local economies tied to farming, travel, and rural life. Nearby parks and recreational areas add another layer, suggesting how the countryside served not only as productive land but also as a setting for leisure and natural retreat. More than a technical survey, this map is a mid-century portrait of Murray and its surroundings, where geography, settlement, and history are brought into elegant alignment.

Cities, towns and places on this map

• Murray, Kentucky
• Hazel, Kentucky
• Various rural roads and rail lines
• Multiple lakes and rivers, exact names not specified
• Areas of forest and cleared agricultural land
• Surrounding small communities and hamlets
• Nearby parks and recreational areas
• Geographic features represented by contour lines, specific names not listed

Historical context & cartographic details

• Titled “Hazel,” this historical US Geological Survey topographical map shows Murray, Kentucky and the surrounding area.
• Produced by the US Geological Survey (USGS), a scientific agency of the U.S. government known for detailed and systematic mapping of the United States.
• The map was created at a detailed 1:24,000 scale.
• The map dates back to 1951, with a 1962 imprint.
• It uses a clear color scheme, with greens indicating vegetation and lighter tones representing terrain.
• Contour lines show elevation changes and help reveal the steepness and layout of the landscape.
• The map records terrain features including hills, valleys, waterways, wooded areas, and cleared land.
• As a record of early 1950s geography and land use, it documents changes in development, vegetation, and human activity in the region over time.

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.