Vigo County Historical Society
Historical Treasure Article

May 16, 1993
By Alice Mahalek
Vigo County Historical Society

Map shows Terre Haute in 1880

If you enter the museum through the north door, one of the first things you will come upon will be a 26-inch by 44-inch map of Terre Haute. It is a panoramic view of the city as it appeared in 1880.

The panoramic map was a popular cartographic form during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. These portrayed a town as if viewed from above at an oblique angle and showed street patterns, individual buildings and major landscapes in perspective.

Their preparation required an immense amount of painstaking labor. For each project, a frame was developed showing the pattern of streets. The artist then walked the streets sketching buildings, trees and other features to present a complete and accurate prospect as seen from an elevation of 2,000 feet to 3,000 feet.

Panographic maps graphically depict the exciting and vibrant life of a city. Harbors are shown choked with ships. Institutions and businesses are drawn and identified.

The map shows from Third Avenue to about Washington Street (north and south).

The Historical Museum of the Wabash Valley, 1411 S. Sixth St., is open from 1 to 4 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday.

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