Published in 1957 using survey data gathered in 1954, the U.S. Geological Survey’s “Newberg” captures a finely detailed mid-century portrait of one of Oregon’s most fertile and visually varied landscapes. Drawn at the classic 1:24,000 scale, the map centers on Newberg and the surrounding country at the northern edge of the Willamette Valley, where town streets, rural roads, rail lines, cultivated fields, and wooded slopes are organized with crisp topographic precision. It is a document of place at a pivotal moment: Newberg appears before later waves of suburban growth, while the agricultural patterns that would help define the region’s modern identity—especially orchards, farms, and vineyards—are already legible in the land.

The map belongs to the distinguished USGS topographic tradition, a cartographic enterprise that became essential to twentieth-century American planning, resource management, engineering, and environmental understanding. By the 1950s, USGS quadrangles offered an authoritative visual language for reading the nation: contour lines for relief, hydrography for drainage, roads and railways for movement, and carefully differentiated land cover for vegetation and open ground. In this “Newberg” sheet, that language is especially effective, translating the complex folds and valleys of western Oregon into a clear, elegant pattern. The restrained color scheme—greens for wooded or vegetated areas, tans and whites for more open or cultivated terrain—gives the map both technical clarity and a quietly handsome period character.

Topographically, the map’s great appeal lies in the undulating landscape around Newberg, where the valley floor rises toward nearby hills, ridges, and broken uplands. Contour lines gather and spread across the sheet, revealing slopes, shallow draws, and elevated ground with a rhythm that mirrors the region’s geology and drainage. The Chehalem River and Yamhill River systems, along with smaller watercourses, help structure the surrounding countryside, marking corridors of settlement, cultivation, and movement. These natural lines explain much of the human geography shown here: farms occupy gentler ground, roads follow practical grades, and wooded areas cling to steeper or less easily cultivated slopes.

Newberg itself appears as a compact town embedded in a broader agricultural matrix, a role it has long played in the Willamette Valley. The map records rural routes, highways, and railways linking the community to neighboring farms, markets, and regional centers, suggesting the practical networks that supported mid-century life in Yamhill County and adjacent areas. Around the town, fields and cultivated parcels form a subtle mosaic, foreshadowing the landscape that would later become internationally associated with Oregon wine. While today the Newberg area is celebrated for vineyards and tasting rooms, this map shows the deeper agricultural foundation on which that identity was built.

As a historical artifact, “Newberg” preserves a moment before the full force of late twentieth-century development reshaped the area’s edges. Urban expansion, road improvements, and the rise of destination wine tourism have altered the relationship between town and countryside, making the map a compelling record of older land use patterns. Its value lies not only in what it labels, but in what it quietly reveals: the balance between settlement and field, woodland and slope, river corridor and ridge. For admirers of Oregon history, American topographic mapping, or the cultivated landscapes of the Willamette Valley, this map offers a richly detailed window into Newberg’s mid-century terrain.

Cities, towns and places on this map

• Newberg
• Chehalem River
• Yamhill River
• Various agricultural fields and vineyards
• Nearby hills and ridges
• Roads, including rural routes and highways
• Railways
• Parks and protected areas, if indicated

Historical context & cartographic details

• Historical 1:24,000 topographical map of Newberg, Oregon and the surrounding area
• Produced using survey data from 1954 and published in 1957
• Published by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS)
• Shows Newberg as part of the Willamette Valley, a region known for agriculture and wine production
• Uses contour lines to represent elevation changes and local topography
• Features a typical mid-century USGS color scheme, with green for vegetation and tan for barren areas
• Depicts an undulating landscape with prominent hills and valleys
• Reflects mid-20th-century land use and geographic features before later urban expansion and agricultural development transformed the area

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.