{"product_id":"old-map-of-vashon-island-washington-by-usgs-1949-puget-sound-maury-island","title":"Old Map of Vashon Island, Washington by USGS, 1949 – Puget Sound \u0026 Maury Island","description":"\u003cp\u003eTitled “Vashon,” this United States Geological Survey topographical map presents Vashon Island and its neighboring Puget Sound waters with the clarity and authority for which the USGS is renowned. The map is dated 1949 and carries a 1969 imprint, placing it at an intriguing midpoint between postwar rural Washington and the region’s later suburban and environmental transformations. At 1:24,000 scale, it offers a close, richly legible portrait of island terrain, settlement, shoreline, and infrastructure. Vashon, Burton, Dockton, and Maury Island appear within a landscape defined as much by water as by land, with Quartermaster Harbor, Tramp Harbor, and the surrounding arms of Puget Sound shaping the island’s geography and character.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe cartography is classic mid-century USGS: disciplined, precise, and quietly elegant. Fine contour lines trace the island’s undulating interior, revealing the hills, shallow valleys, and bluff-edged shorelines that give Vashon its distinctive topographic rhythm. Greens mark wooded and vegetated areas, suggesting the rural and semi-wild character that has long distinguished the island from the expanding urban centers nearby. Roads, creeks, parks, shore points, and settlements are rendered with a restrained visual hierarchy, making the map both functional and evocative. Its topographical language rewards close reading, from the rising ground above Judd Creek to the tapering promontories of Point Robinson, Point Hay, and Louisa Point.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eVashon Island occupies a singular position in Puget Sound, lying between Seattle, Tacoma, and the Kitsap Peninsula yet historically retaining an identity apart from them. This map captures that insular quality beautifully. The island’s communities—Vashon, Burton, Rosedale, and Dockton—appear modestly embedded in a landscape of woods, farms, coves, and tidal edges. Quartermaster Harbor, sheltered between Vashon and Maury Island, forms one of the map’s most graceful natural features, a protected marine basin historically associated with boatbuilding, fishing, recreation, and local commerce. Nearby Dockton Park and the former waterfront village of Dockton hint at the island’s maritime past, when small communities were tied closely to steamship routes and working harbors.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMaury Island and the eastern shorelines add another layer of geographical interest. Point Robinson, with its prominent position on the island’s eastern edge, marks a key navigational point overlooking the shipping lanes of Puget Sound. Tramp Harbor, Point Monroe, Fern Cove, and the surrounding inlets and beaches illustrate the complex meeting of glacial landforms and tidal waters that characterizes this part of Washington. Across the water, places such as Olalla situate the map within the broader Sound, emphasizing the ferry-linked, water-oriented nature of regional life. The inclusion of features such as an equestrian club, parks, and small road networks suggests a landscape balanced between habitation, recreation, and enduring rural open space.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAs a historical document, the map invites comparison with the Vashon of today. Since the 1969 imprint, the island has seen shifts in land use, transportation patterns, conservation priorities, and residential development, while still preserving much of its celebrated rural character. Areas once shown as sparsely developed or heavily wooded may now reflect changing patterns of stewardship, private ownership, and environmental protection. Yet the fundamental geography remains compellingly constant: the wooded ridges, protected harbors, sinuous shorelines, and quiet settlements surrounded by Puget Sound. This USGS map offers not merely a survey of place, but a finely drawn portrait of an island community poised between natural beauty, maritime history, and the pressures of a growing metropolitan region.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eCities, towns and places on this map\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eVashon Island\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003ePoint Robinson\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eBurton\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eVashon\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eMaury Island\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003ePoint Hay\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eQuartermaster Harbor\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003ePuget Sound\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eEquestrian Club\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eOlalla\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003ePoint Monroe\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eDockton\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eRosedale\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eJudd Creek\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eFern Cove\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eDockton Park\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eTramp Harbor\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eLouisa Point\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eHistorical context \u0026amp; cartographic details\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eProduced by the US Geological Survey as a historical 1:24,000 topographical map of Vashon Island, Washington, and the surrounding area.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eDated 1949 with a 1969 imprint.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003ePublished by the US Geological Survey, known for authoritative geographic, geological, and topographic mapping in the United States.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eShows Vashon Island, Puget Sound, and surrounding waterways.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eUses traditional topographical mapping with contour lines to indicate elevation changes.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eIncludes shades of green to denote vegetation and land use.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eProvides detailed elevation contours showing the hills and valleys typical of Vashon Island’s landscape.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eSince the 1969 imprint, changes in land use, urbanization, and environmental conservation may have altered the island’s landscape and development patterns.\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=\"\/es\/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=\"\/es\/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=\"\/es\/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=\"\/es\/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":"Default Title","offer_id":58830824636800,"sku":null,"price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0257\/0344\/8638\/files\/file_079fc100-9f1a-47dd-8fc7-5839948ecf7b.jpg?v=1788273618","url":"https:\/\/uniquemaps.co.uk\/es\/products\/old-map-of-vashon-island-washington-by-usgs-1949-puget-sound-maury-island","provider":"The Unique Maps Co.","version":"1.0","type":"link"}