1921 Map of Corvallis

About this map

Corvallis serves as a major hub in the Willamette Valley during the early 1920s, anchored by the expansive grounds of the Oregon Agricultural College. The landscape is defined by the winding course of the Marys River and Muddy Creek, which irrigate the agricultural lands west of the Willamette River. In this era, the Southern Pacific railroad and the Pacific Highway West Side provided the primary arteries for commerce and travel, connecting the valley settlements. The map reveals a dense network of rural infrastructure, including numerous family-named landmarks like Smith Hill and Oak Hill. Local education is decentralized, with several schoolhouses such as Union School, Evergreen School, and Savage School serving the surrounding farming communities. This preliminary edition also captures the transition from surveyed terrain to a large Preliminary Edition Unsurveyed Area to the west, highlighting the ongoing work of the U.S. Geological Survey in mapping the Oregon Coast Range foothills.