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Maps

Bear Lake historical sites

Detail of the map around Montpelier: US-30 and US-89, the Oregon Trail, cemetery markers, a downtown street inset, and illustrations of a steam locomotive, a man in a bowler hat, and a fisherman.
Around Montpelier — the highways, the Oregon Trail, cemetery markers, and an inset of the downtown streets. Illustrations by Laura Ashliman.

The problem

Jack Johnson publishes Discover Area Guides, a regional travel guide series. He wanted a wall map of the Bear Lake Valley’s historical sites and pioneer routes that local businesses could sell, printed 24×36 on Tiga, a synthetic stock that stands up to handling.

The approach

Jack supplied the historical research: the sites, the routes, and the stories behind them. I did the rest — the cartography, the layout, the typography, and the files for press. The illustrations on the map are by Laura Ashliman, who draws for the series.

The outcome

It sells through businesses around Bear Lake, and it has gone back to press several times, on more than one printer. It’s the third map in the series for Discover Area Guides, after Cassia County and Minidoka County.

Detail of the south end of Bear Lake: Garden City, the Old Oregon Trail, campgrounds, a cartoon couple floating on inner tubes, and a portrait of Jim Bridger.
The south end of the lake, from Garden City to the campgrounds on the east shore. Illustrations by Laura Ashliman.
The full Bear Lake Historical Sites map: the lake at center, surrounded by columns of site histories, with sponsor ads along the bottom.
The full sheet, with site histories around the map and sponsor ads along the bottom.
Detail of the Bear Lake map: a column headed “Other Prominent Area Figures” with short biographies, beside the west shore with US-89, Fish Haven, the Original Oregon Trail Marker, the Rich County line, and a serpent rising from the lake.
Biographies of area figures set beside the map near Fish Haven. Research by Discover Area Guides; illustration by Laura Ashliman.

Historical research by Discover Area Guides. Illustrations by Laura Ashliman, used with permission. Cartography, layout, typography, and print production by me.

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