Published in 1943 under the succinct title “Easton,” this U.S. Geological Survey topographical map presents a finely observed portrait of Talbot County, Maryland, in the World War II era. Centered on Easton, the county seat and a historic Eastern Shore town, the map captures a landscape poised between agricultural tradition, river commerce, and modern transportation. At a scale of 1:31,680, it offers both regional breadth and local precision, showing roads, rail connections, settlements, waterways, and landforms with the disciplined clarity for which USGS mapping is renowned. Easton’s gridded streets stand out amid the surrounding fields and drainage patterns, revealing the town as a civic and commercial hub within the low, water-laced terrain of Maryland’s Chesapeake region.

The mapmaker, the U.S. Geological Survey, had by 1943 spent more than six decades refining the science of American topographical mapping. Founded in 1879, the USGS became the nation’s authoritative source for mapping landforms, water systems, mineral resources, and settlement patterns. During the Second World War, its work acquired heightened strategic importance: accurate topographic information was essential for planning, infrastructure, logistics, and defense. This Easton sheet belongs to that era of practical precision, when maps were not merely descriptive documents but instruments of national readiness. Its restrained symbology, contouring, and carefully differentiated features reflect a federal cartographic style built on reliability, legibility, and systematic observation.

Easton itself is shown with particular clarity, its town plan set against the broader fabric of Talbot County. Roads radiate toward Oxford, Cordova, Hillsboro, and neighboring communities, while Maryland routes that would become central to regional movement are visible as part of a growing transportation network. Maryland Route 50, Route 33, and Route 322 connect the map’s towns and rural districts, helping to illustrate Easton’s role as a crossroads on the Eastern Shore. Easton Airport, also noted, hints at the expanding importance of aviation and modern mobility in the mid-twentieth century. Nearby places such as Alexander Heights, Rosewood, Hillcrest, and Tred Avon add texture to a landscape of small settlements and local identities.

Water gives the map much of its character. The Tred Avon River and Choptank River frame the geography of the region, their tributaries and marshy margins shaping routes, fields, and communities. These waterways were historically central to transportation, fishing, trade, and the broader Chesapeake Bay economy, linking inland farms and towns to tidal commerce. Oxford, positioned near the Tred Avon, evokes the maritime heritage of Talbot County, while the Choptank marks one of the Eastern Shore’s defining river systems. The USGS rendering of streams, inlets, and low-lying ground reveals a subtle terrain, where even modest elevation changes matter in the relationship between settlement, agriculture, wetlands, and waterborne life.

As a topographical work, the map’s appeal lies in its measured depiction of a gently varied coastal plain. Contour lines trace the slight rises and falls of the land, distinguishing open fields, wooded areas, drainage corridors, and developed spaces without theatrical exaggeration. This careful visual language makes the map a compelling historical record of Easton before later suburban expansion, highway growth, and changes in land use reshaped the area. It preserves a moment when railways, rural roads, compact towns, and river landscapes coexisted in a more tightly legible pattern. For admirers of Chesapeake history, American government cartography, or the evolving geography of Maryland’s Eastern Shore, “Easton” is a richly informative snapshot of place and time.

Cities, towns and places on this map

• Easton, Maryland
• Talbot County
• Tred Avon River
• Choptank River
• Alexander Heights
• Tred Avon
• Oxford
• Cordova
• Hillsboro
• Easton Airport
• Rosewood
• Hillcrest
• Maryland Route 33
• Maryland Route 50
• Maryland Route 322
• Rails and highways connecting to nearby regions
• Various unnamed waterways and vegetation areas

Historical context & cartographic details

• Produced by the US Geological Survey, this historical 1:31,680 topographical map shows Easton, Maryland, and the surrounding area.
• The map is dated 1943.
• Published by the US Geological Survey, a scientific agency of the U.S. government responsible for studying natural resources and natural hazards.
• The USGS has been a major provider of geospatial information and topographical mapping for over a century.
• During the World War II era, USGS mapping had significant military and logistical usefulness.
• The map uses detailed contour lines to represent elevation changes.
• Shading and color differentiation indicate water bodies and vegetation.
• Easton’s urban area is distinctly marked, showing a grid layout typical of town planning.
• The map displays natural features such as rivers, lakes, flat areas, and hills.
• Easton has experienced urban development, infrastructure expansion, and land-use changes since 1943.

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.