Rand, McNally & Co.’s Wisconsin, issued in 1889, is presented here in its 18th edition—a testament to continuous refinement at a moment when the Badger State was booming. Across the sheet, counties are crisply defined in printed color, giving immediate visual order to Wisconsin’s political landscape while preserving an elegant harmony of tones. A notable scholarly touch is the inclusion of meridians from both Washington and Greenwich, reflecting a transitional era in global cartographic standards. Railroads course through the composition with deliberate emphasis, the steel web that tied town and countryside into a single economic organism. Hachures bring the terrain to life, casting light and shadow over ridges and valleys so that the state’s varied relief reads with a tactile, three-dimensional immediacy.

The map embraces Wisconsin in full: from the Lake Michigan littoral to the Mississippi boundary, and from the Fox-Winnebago basin to the rolling interior. Rivers and lakes are rendered with nuanced shading that hints at depth and flow, while the hachured uplands suggest the muscular contours of the Driftless country and other broken terrains. Notable cities punctuate the counties—Milwaukee commanding the southeast, Madison poised between its lakes at the capital, Green Bay guarding a storied harbor, and the Fox River corridor stitching together Appleton and Oshkosh. Along the lakefront, Racine, Kenosha, Sheboygan, and Waukesha inland testify to the state’s urban-rural interplay, each seat indexed precisely within its county frame.

Railroads are the starring infrastructure, diagrammed with the clarity of a timetable writ large. Trunk lines radiate from Milwaukee toward Madison and the Fox River Valley, while parallel corridors shadow the Lake Michigan shore to knit Racine, Kenosha, and Sheboygan into broader Midwestern circuits. Branches thread the interior, linking depots, mills, and market towns, revealing how grain, timber, and manufactured goods flowed to ports and interchange yards. Junctions, sidings, and named stations appear as dense constellations, mirroring the settlement pattern of the late nineteenth century. Seen together, these routes narrate Wisconsin’s transition from frontier to networked commonwealth, capturing the sinews of commerce that underwrote civic growth, immigration, and the rise of new county seats.

At the helm was Rand McNally and Company, by 1889 already a premier American cartographic house with deep roots in railroad printing and school atlases. Their editorial discipline shows in the careful synchronization of political boundaries, transportation updates, and geographic reference lines. The dual meridian scheme—Washington for American usage and Greenwich for international concord—marks a bright moment in cartography when national habits yielded to global standardization after the 1884 meridian conference. Successive editions sharpened accuracy and nomenclature, ensuring the map served classrooms, boardrooms, and courthouses alike. Within this lineage, the Wisconsin sheet balances utility and clarity, distilling complex data into a legible, civic-minded portrait of the state.

Design choices heighten both beauty and comprehension. Printed colors separate counties without overwhelming the typography, which tiers elegantly from prominent city names to smaller town labels and river scripts that seem to follow the current. The measured grid of meridians and parallels steadies the eye, while hachures lend sculptural depth to ridges and valleys, guiding the reader from the lake shore inward to the rolling interior. Watercourses are shaded with care, so that the Fox and Wisconsin Rivers, and the lakes they feed, read as connective tissue across jurisdictions. The result is a poised composition: a late-nineteenth-century atlas aesthetic refined to clarity, and a richly informed snapshot of Wisconsin at the height of its formative growth.

Cities and towns on this map

• Milwaukee County: Milwaukee
• Dane County: Madison
• Brown County: Green Bay
• Waukesha County: Waukesha
• Racine County: Racine
• Kenosha County: Kenosha
• Outagamie County: Appleton
• Winnebago County: Oshkosh
• Sheboygan County: Sheboygan

Notable Features & Landmarks

• Distinct county boundaries outlined in color.
• Major railroads depicted, highlighting transportation routes.
• Reference lines for meridians from Washington and Greenwich.
• Representation of lakes and rivers with varied shading.
• Use of hachures to convey terrain elevation and relief.
• Notable cities indicated within individual counties.

Historical and design context

• Date of Creation: 1889
• Historical Significance: The 18th edition indicates the map's sustained importance in documenting Wisconsin's geography and infrastructure during a time of growth and development in the late 19th century.
• Mapmaker/Publisher: Rand McNally and Company — Rand McNally developed into a leading map publishing company known for its detailed cartography and educational materials.
• Geographic Coverage: The map covers the entire state of Wisconsin, delineating counties and significant geographic features.
• Topics and Themes: Political boundaries and county divisions; transportation infrastructure, particularly railroads; topographical features illustrated using hachures.
• Design/Style: The map incorporates printed colors, adding vibrancy and clarity to the visual representation of political and physical features.

Please double check the images to make sure that a specific town or place is shown on this map. You can also get in touch and ask us to check the map for you.

This map looks great at every size, but I always recommend going for a larger size if you have space. That way you can easily make out all of the details.

This map looks amazing at sizes all the way up to 70in (180cm). 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.

The fifth listing image shows an example of my map personalisation service.

If you’re looking for something slightly different, check out my collection of the best old maps to see if something else catches your eye.

Please contact me to check if a certain location, landmark or feature is shown on this map.

This would make a wonderful birthday, Christmas, Father's Day, work leaving, anniversary or housewarming gift for someone from the areas covered by this map.

This map is available as a giclée print on acid free archival matte paper, or you can buy it framed. The frame is a nice, simple black frame that suits most aesthetics. Please get in touch if you'd like a different frame colour or material. My frames are glazed with super-clear museum-grade acrylic (perspex/acrylite), which is significantly less reflective than glass, safer, and will always arrive in perfect condition.

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.

Many of our maps and art prints are chosen as thoughtful gifts for homes, offices, studies and meaningful places.

Choose a framed option for the easiest ready-to-hang gift, or choose an unframed print if the recipient may prefer to select their own frame.

We make orders locally in 23 countries around the world, so gifts can often be produced close to the recipient. This helps them arrive faster, travel more safely, and avoid customs or import duty surprises.

• We can deliver directly to the recipient
• Framed pieces arrive ready to hang
• Unframed prints are carefully packed in a strong protective tube
• Almost every order is made locally, for faster, safer gifting
• 90-day returns give the recipient time to decide

If you are not sure what to choose, please contact us. We can help you pick the right map, size, finish or delivery option.

Most orders are made locally and delivered in around 2–3 working days, depending on the product, size and destination.

We print and frame maps and artwork in 23 countries around the world, so your order is usually made close to you or your recipient. That means faster delivery, less time in transit, and no customs or import duty surprises.

Personalised and customised pieces usually take an extra 1–2 working days, because we prepare your design and send it to you for approval before printing.

Very large framed orders can take a little longer, as they need extra care in production and delivery.

Every order is carefully packaged: unframed prints are sent in a strong protective tube, while framed pieces are securely packed with protective materials around the frame.

If you need your order by a particular date, please contact us before ordering. We’ll check the best production route and delivery option for your location.

Express delivery is available at checkout for most countries. Next-day delivery is available in the UK, US, Singapore and the UAE.

Your order is covered by our 90-day returns policy and 5-year guarantee.

Read our full delivery and local production guide

My standard frame is a gallery style black ash hardwood frame. It is simple and quite modern looking. My standard frame is around 20mm (0.8in) wide.

I use super-clear acrylic (perspex/acrylite) for the frame glass. It's lighter and safer than glass - and it looks better, as the reflectivity is lower.

Six standard frame colours are available for free (black, dark brown, dark grey, oak, white and antique gold). Custom framing and mounting/matting is available if you're looking for something else.

Most maps, art and illustrations are also available as a framed canvas. We use matte (not shiny) cotton canvas, stretch it over a sustainably sourced box wood frame, and then 'float' the piece within a wood frame. The end result is quite beautiful, and there's no glazing to get in the way.

All frames are provided "ready to hang", with either a string or brackets on the back. Very large frames will have heavy duty hanging plates and/or a mounting baton. If you have any questions, please get in touch.

See some examples of my framed maps and framed canvas maps.

Alternatively, I can also supply old maps and artwork on canvas, foam board, cotton rag and other materials.

If you want to frame your map or artwork yourself, please read my size guide first.

My maps are extremely high quality reproductions of original maps.

I source original, rare maps from libraries, auction houses and private collections around the world, restore them at my London workshop, and then use specialist giclée inks and printers to create beautiful maps that look even better than the original.

My maps are printed on acid-free archival matte (not glossy) paper that feels very high quality and almost like card. In technical terms the paper weight/thickness is 10mil/200gsm. It's perfect for framing.

I print with Epson ultrachrome giclée UV fade resistant pigment inks - some of the best inks you can find.

I can also make maps on canvas, cotton rag and other exotic materials.

Learn more about The Unique Maps Co.

Map personalisation

If you're looking for the perfect anniversary or housewarming gift, I can personalise your map to make it truly unique. For example, I can add a short message, or highlight an important location, or add your family's coat of arms.

The options are almost infinite. Please see my map personalisation page for some wonderful examples of what's possible.

To order a personalised map, select "personalise your map" before adding it to your basket.

Get in touch if you're looking for more complex customisations and personalisations.

Map ageing

I have been asked hundreds of times over the years by customers if they could buy a map that looks even older.

Well, now you can, by selecting Aged before you add a map to your basket.

All the product photos you see on this page show the map in its Original form. This is what the map looks like today.

If you select Aged, I will age your map by hand, using a special and unique process developed through years of studying old maps, talking to researchers to understand the chemistry of aging paper, and of course... lots of practice!

If you're unsure, stick to the Original colour of the map. If you want something a bit darker and older looking, go for Aged.

See some amazing examples of Aged maps.

Se non sei soddisfatto del tuo ordine per qualsiasi motivo, contattami per un rimborso senza problemi. Si prega di consultare la nostra politica di reso e rimborso per ulteriori informazioni.

Sono molto sicuro che ti piacerà la tua mappa restaurata o la stampa d'arte. Lo faccio dal 1984. Sono un venditore Etsy a 5 stelle. Ho venduto decine di migliaia di mappe e stampe d'arte e ho oltre 5.000 recensioni reali a 5 stelle.

Utilizzo un processo unico per restaurare mappe e opere d'arte che richiede molto tempo e lavoro. Trovare le mappe e le illustrazioni originali può richiedere mesi. Utilizzo tecnologia all'avanguardia e incredibilmente costosa per scannerizzare e restaurarle. Di conseguenza, garantisco che le mie mappe e stampe d'arte siano superiori alle altre - ecco perché posso offrire un rimborso senza problemi.

Quasi tutte le mie mappe e stampe d'arte sembrano fantastiche a grandi dimensioni (200 cm, 6,5 piedi+) e posso anche incorniciarle e consegnarle a te, tramite un corriere speciale per oggetti di grandi dimensioni. Contattami per discutere delle tue esigenze specifiche.