{"product_id":"old-map-of-louisville-kentucky-by-usgs-1946-new-albany-ohio-river-falls-of-the-ohio","title":"Old Map of Louisville, Kentucky by USGS, 1946 – New Albany, Ohio River \u0026 Falls of the Ohio","description":"\u003cp\u003ePublished in 1946 from contemporary survey work, the United States Geological Survey’s “New Albany” presents Louisville, Kentucky, and the Indiana shore opposite it at a pivotal postwar moment. At a 1:24,000 scale, the map captures the dense urban fabric of Louisville, the organized street grids of New Albany, and the broad, commanding course of the Ohio River between them. Red road networks and rail corridors thread through the scene, while contour lines and subtle color gradients reveal the land’s underlying shape. The result is both a technical document and a portrait of a river city region in transition, balancing established commercial power, expanding neighborhoods, and the infrastructure that would define mid-century metropolitan growth.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe USGS brought to this map the disciplined precision for which it became one of America’s most important scientific institutions. Founded in the late nineteenth century to classify public lands and study the nation’s geology, the Survey evolved into a central authority on topographic mapping, water resources, mineral knowledge, and landscape data. By 1946, its quadrangle maps had become indispensable to engineers, planners, military authorities, and civic leaders. In “New Albany,” that institutional rigor is visible in every contour, symbol, and alignment. Streets, railroads, waterways, and elevation changes are rendered with clarity, creating a layered geographic record of a region where commerce, settlement, and terrain were inseparably connected.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe Ohio River dominates the composition, not merely as a boundary between Kentucky and Indiana, but as the historical engine of the area’s development. Louisville owed much of its prominence to its position at the Falls of the Ohio, the only major natural obstruction along the river’s long navigable route. These rapids shaped transportation, trade, engineering, and settlement from the earliest colonial and frontier periods onward. On the map, the river’s bends, islands, banks, and crossings convey the strategic importance of this corridor. New Albany, directly across the water, appears as part of the same economic landscape, tied to Louisville by ferries, bridges, rail connections, and a shared riverine history.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe topography gives the map much of its character. Contour lines mark the gradual rise from the river bottoms into surrounding hills and valleys, showing how elevation influenced roads, neighborhoods, industrial sites, and open land. Louisville’s flatter urban core contrasts with more varied terrain toward the outskirts, while the Indiana side reveals its own patterns of settlement shaped by slope and drainage. The careful depiction of Camp Taylor and surrounding districts offers a glimpse of military and suburban geographies that had taken on new meaning after World War II. Rail lines and arterial roads cut across the landscape, testifying to Louisville’s role as a transportation hub linking river, rail, and highway systems.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAs a historical document, “New Albany” is especially evocative for the moment it preserves: the first year after the war, when American cities were beginning to expand rapidly beyond older industrial and commercial cores. Louisville’s street network, rail yards, riverfront zones, and nearby communities appear before many later highways and suburban transformations reshaped the metropolitan area. The smaller neighborhoods within New Albany, the mapped roadways, and the clearly drawn rail infrastructure all speak to an interconnected urban region poised for growth. This is a map of practical beauty—scientific in method, elegant in design, and rich in historical implication—showing a celebrated Ohio River landscape at the threshold of modern change.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eCities, towns and places on this map\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eLouisville, Kentucky\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eNew Albany, Indiana\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThe Ohio River\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eFalls of the Ohio\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eCamp Taylor\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eVarious small neighborhoods within New Albany\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eRoadways and railroads across the region\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eHistorical context \u0026amp; cartographic details\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eHistorical 1:24,000 topographical map titled \u003cem\u003eNew Albany\u003c\/em\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eReflects survey data from 1946\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eProduced by the United States Geological Survey (USGS)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eShows Louisville, Kentucky, and parts of Indiana across the Ohio River\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eUses color gradients to represent elevation and terrain\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eFeatures clearly delineated grid and street layouts in red\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eContour lines indicate hills, valleys, and varied elevations\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eProvides insight into post-World War II urban and rural development\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eHighlights Louisville’s historical importance in transportation and commerce\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=\"\/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=\"\/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=\"\/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=\"\/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":58764529172864,"sku":null,"price":84.0,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":true},{"title":"12x16in (30x40cm) \/ Framed map","offer_id":58764529205632,"sku":null,"price":225.0,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":true},{"title":"12x16in (30x40cm) \/ Framed canvas map","offer_id":58764529238400,"sku":null,"price":0.0,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":true},{"title":"A3 (297x420mm) \/ Map","offer_id":58764529271168,"sku":null,"price":84.0,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":true},{"title":"A3 (297x420mm) \/ Framed map","offer_id":58764529303936,"sku":null,"price":225.0,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":true},{"title":"A3 (297x420mm) \/ Framed canvas 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