Old Map of Logan, Utah by USGS, 1961 – Cache Valley, Bear River & Logan Canyon

Titled simply “Logan,” this US Geological Survey topographical map presents the Logan, Utah area as it stood in 1961, with a later 1986 imprint preserving the authoritative mid-century survey. Drawn at the detailed 1:24,000 scale, it captures the meeting point of city, valley, and mountain with the clarity that made USGS quadrangles essential tools for engineers, planners, hikers, and historians. Logan appears not as an isolated town, but as the civic and geographic heart of Cache Valley, set amid roads, waterways, rail alignments, cultivated land, and rising terrain. The map’s precise contouring and standardized symbols offer a richly layered portrait of a growing Intermountain community shaped by agriculture, education, transportation, and the dramatic topography of northern Utah.

The US Geological Survey, founded in 1879, became the nation’s preeminent authority on mapping the American landscape, and this map reflects its disciplined, scientific cartographic tradition. Every line has a purpose: brown contours record elevation, blue lines trace streams and waterways, green shading marks wooded or parkland areas, and black symbols identify roads, buildings, railroads, schools, churches, and public structures. Unlike decorative earlier maps, USGS quadrangles were designed for precision, yet they possess a quiet beauty of their own. The grid-like order of Logan’s streets contrasts with the organic sweep of hills, canyons, and drainage lines, creating a visual record of settlement pressed against the rugged terrain of the Wasatch and Bear River ranges.

Logan’s setting is one of the map’s great subjects. Cache Valley spreads across the sheet as a broad, fertile basin framed by mountain systems, with the Wellsville Mountains rising to the west and canyon country opening toward the east. Logan Canyon, one of the defining natural corridors of the region, links the valley floor to higher country and has long served as both a scenic passage and a practical route through difficult terrain. Green Canyon, the Bear River, Cub River, and numerous smaller streams underscore the importance of water in this semi-arid landscape. Their blue tracings reveal how settlement, agriculture, and transportation followed natural drainage patterns across the valley.

The human geography is equally compelling. Logan is shown alongside nearby communities such as Hyde Park, Smithfield, Millville, Mendon, Hyrum, and Paradise, each contributing to the pattern of towns and farms that defines Cache Valley. Roads including the important UT-89/91 corridor indicate regional movement through the valley, while railroad tracks and alignments speak to the transportation networks that connected northern Utah to broader markets. Schools, churches, government buildings, and other landmarks appear through the USGS symbol system, suggesting the civic structure of the region in the early 1960s. The result is a snapshot of Logan before later suburban expansion, when the edges of town still gave way quickly to fields, foothills, and canyon mouths.

As a historical document, “Logan” records more than location; it preserves a moment in the evolution of a distinctive western landscape. The map shows the interplay between natural constraint and human ambition: streets laid across the valley floor, transportation routes threading between communities, and contour lines tightening dramatically where the land rises into the mountains. For collectors, historians, or anyone with ties to northern Utah, it offers an unusually intimate view of place—scientific in method, yet evocative in effect. Its combination of urban detail, agricultural pattern, mountain relief, and hydrographic structure makes it a finely composed portrait of Logan and Cache Valley at a pivotal point in the twentieth century.

Cities, towns and places on this map

• Logan, Utah
• Bear River
• Logan Canyon
• Wellsville Mountains
• Bridger Mountains
• Green Canyon
• Hyrum
• Mendon
• Millville
• Hyde Park
• Paradise
• Smithfield
• Cub River
• Cache Valley
• UT-89/91 and other roads
• Railroad tracks and alignments
• Streams
• Parks and forested areas
• Elevation points and contours
• Schools, churches, and government buildings

Historical context & cartographic details

• Map title: Logan
• Produced by the US Geological Survey (USGS)
• Historical 1:24,000 topographical map of Logan, Utah and the surrounding area
• Originally dated 1961, with a later 1986 imprint
• Uses standard USGS topographical symbols
• Includes color-coded elevation lines and detailed contour information
• Shows both urban and rural features, including natural and man-made landmarks
• Represents the varied terrain of the Logan area, including hilly and mountainous regions
• Reflects the geographical and infrastructural development of Logan and nearby areas up to 1961
• Provides a historical snapshot of land use, transportation, settlement, and topography in the region

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.