Titled “Hagood,” this United States Geological Survey topographical map presents the Camden region of South Carolina at a detailed 1:62,500 scale, mapped in 1938 and issued with a 1945 imprint. It captures a landscape poised between older agricultural rhythms and the infrastructural expansion of the mid-twentieth century. Camden, the principal settlement shown, anchors the sheet both geographically and historically, its streets and approaches set amid a web of roads, rail lines, creeks, and cultivated terrain. The map’s careful use of contour lines, blue waterways, and shaded relief gives the region a quiet dimensionality, revealing the folds of hills and valleys around the Wateree River basin with the precision characteristic of USGS cartography.

The United States Geological Survey, established in 1879, became one of the defining institutions of American scientific mapping, combining field survey, geology, hydrology, and topographical measurement into an authoritative national cartographic program. Maps such as “Hagood” were practical instruments for engineers, planners, farmers, military users, and local governments, but they also now serve as finely grained historical records. The USGS style is restrained and exacting: contours trace elevation, symbols distinguish roads and railways, and streams are drawn with an elegance that makes the natural drainage of the land immediately legible. In this sheet, that disciplined visual language transforms the Camden countryside into a measured portrait of place.

Camden itself gives the map particular historical resonance. One of South Carolina’s oldest inland towns, Camden played a significant role during the American Revolutionary War, including the 1780 Battle of Camden, a major British victory in the Southern Campaign. By the period reflected in this map, Camden was also associated with cotton production, trade, and regional transport, its position supported by roads and rail corridors linking the town to smaller communities and rural districts. Nearby names such as Lugoff, DeKalb, Boykin, Pinewood, and Kershaw appear as part of a broader settlement pattern, suggesting a countryside of farms, mills, crossroads, and local markets woven into the larger economy of central South Carolina.

The natural geography is equally compelling. The Wateree River forms one of the dominant features, accompanied by Mill Creek, Lynch Creek, smaller unnamed streams, ponds, and the presence of Lake Wateree to the north. These waterways structure the surrounding terrain, carving low valleys and supporting the agricultural use that defined much of the region. The contour lines reveal a gently but unmistakably varied landscape: high hills, shallow ravines, and rolling uplands that would have influenced travel routes, settlement locations, and land cultivation. The blue river courses set against the finely printed topography make the hydrological character of the Camden area especially vivid, emphasizing how water shaped both the land and human occupation.

As a historical document, “Hagood” preserves a view of Kershaw County and its surroundings before later decades of suburban growth, highway expansion, industrial development, and changing land use altered the region. Its unnamed roads, railway lines, elevation points, and survey markings record a working landscape in transition, where rural South Carolina remained closely tied to agriculture yet increasingly connected by modern infrastructure. The map invites close reading: every contour suggests a rise or hollow, every creek a corridor through the terrain, every place name a local story. For collectors, it offers not only the beauty of classical USGS topography, but also a richly detailed snapshot of the Camden area at a pivotal moment in the twentieth century.

Cities, towns and places on this map

• Camden, South Carolina
• Kershaw, South Carolina
• Boykin, South Carolina
• Mill Creek
• Wateree River
• Lynch Creek
• DeKalb, South Carolina
• Lake Wateree
• Pinewood, South Carolina
• Lugoff, South Carolina
• Various unnamed roads and railway lines
• Numerous smaller water bodies and streams
• High hills and low valleys depicted through contour lines
• Surveying markings and elevation indicators across the Camden area

Historical context & cartographic details

• Produced by the United States Geological Survey, a U.S. government scientific agency known for topographical mapping and geological research.
• Historical 1:62,500 topographical map dated 1938 with a 1945 imprint.
• Shows Camden and the surrounding area in South Carolina.
• Reflects the agricultural landscape of the period, before later urban development, land-use changes, and industrial growth.
• Camden is noted for its Revolutionary War significance and its role as a center of cotton production.
• Includes detailed contour lines to show elevation changes.
• Features a scale bar for distance measurement.
• Uses color and shading to improve readability of topographical features.
• Rivers and water bodies are depicted in blue.
• Shows hilly terrain and valleys through contour detail.

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.