Everyone knows the trick to giving a great Father's Day gift is to find something that says "I know you."
So if you're shopping for a dad who loves the Lake of the Ozarks, this might just be the perfect gift: a canvas, intricately hand-drawn map of the Lake personalized with your name, your home's location arrow, and "Established" date.
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Shop for Lake of the Ozarks maps at GallupMap.com -- photo by Al Griffin
Before Bagnell Dam was even built in the early 1930s, surveyors predicted how the Lake would look, and produced a hand-drawn map of Lake of the Ozarks. The originals—drawn in black pen on linen—changed hands, were stored in sealed tubes, and then were forgotten. In 2004, the maps were found in a Kansas City storage room, and now, ornate prints of it are appearing in homes and businesses around the Lake area.
When the Antiques Roadshow came to Kansas City, appraisers classified them as “Super Rare,” because they do not exist in auction records and are true one-of-a-kinds. Appraisers could not place a value on them.
The map comes standard in two sizes well-suited for a prominent place on a wall, but custom sizes are available too: in fact, one copy on display in the lobby at Tan-Tar-A Resort is 18-feet by 10-feet.
Shop for Lake of the Ozarks maps at GallupMap.com -- photo by Al Griffin
A Tan-Tar-A sized map might break the Father's Day gift budget for most folks, but the 23"x34" and 32"x48" are priced right, when you're shopping for someone special who loves the Lake ($90 and $165, respectively). The map also comes in seven different designs, ranging from antique to "Old West" to modern black-and-blue colorings. Check out the seven Lake of the Ozarks map styles.
At the LakeExpo office in Osage Beach, we opted for the black-and-blue version:
Find this map at GallupMap.com -- photo by Al Griffin
Gallup Map Company owner Pat Carroll says one of his favorite things about the Lake of the Ozarks map is that it helps people easily answer the question, "Where are we, on the Lake?" The question comes up constantly, he points out, especially among visitors, whether they're renting a Lakefront home or staying in a hotel or resort. In such a winding Lake with multiple arms (its iconic shape long ago earned it the name "The Magic Dragon"), getting a sense of "where we are" can be tricky.
Carroll points out he can also add an image, logo, or text to help personalize the map for individuals or businesses. A popular customization includes the homeowner’s name, the date when they first purchased their home, and its location by mile marker. A photo of the home or boat can also be added to the customized map.
The Discovery & History
When Tom and Patricia Carroll bought Gallup Map Company in 1968, they acquired 150 small tubes in storage. Those tubes sat unopened, ignored, and tucked away in the archives for 39 years.
But in 2004, something happened that their son and business manager, Patrick Carroll, says changed his life: a city bus crashed into the side of Gallup Map’s office.
Shop for Lake of the Ozarks maps at GallupMap.com -- photo provided
The catastrophe damaged the building and exposed the Carrolls’ livelihood to the wind and rain. As Patrick moved products and archives into safer storage, he found those old, unopened tubes and looked inside.
They held original, vintage maps of regions across the United States.
One tube in particular contained a linen, hand-drawn map of the waters at Lake of the Ozarks. Its title is “Lake of the Ozarks and the Osage Dam Area in Camden-Morgan-Miller and Benton Counties.” Map details suggest it dates from the late 1920s and early 1930s, when Bagnell Dam was still known as the Osage Dam.
Thanks to Carroll's work, Lake homeowners can hang a copy of that priceless Lake of the Ozarks map on their wall. The map is a work of art that inspires conversations.
Lake Of The Ozarks Map Becomes Artwork In Homes And Businesses At The Lake
The original map of Lake of the Ozarks, reproduced by Gallup Map Company, is a work of art that inspires conversations.
One copy on display in the lobby at Tan-Tar-A Resort is 18-feet by 10-feet. Lobby staff report the map inspires closer looks. Guests quickly see the lake’s iconic dragon shape and step closer to find hidden history and landmarks such as “The Dragon’s Heart,” marking one central turn in the Lake’s winding course.
The map at LakeExpo.com's office has become a centerpiece, and a reminder of the place we love to explore, think about, and write about every day: Lake of the Ozarks.
photos by Al Griffin (unless otherwise noted)
Carroll believes this vintage map will become a centerpiece and conversation starter in Lake homes when guests visit, because his customers have told him that is exactly what happens. Guests step closer and ask, “Where are we now?” and “Where are we going tomorrow?” Owners then tell their story about the Lake, pointing to their own favorite places or to legendary sites such as Lover’s Leap and ferry routes that once carried cars and passengers across the water.
For years before the incredible discovery, Gallup Map offered the only Lake of the Ozarks maps available at the time, but they only showed half of the Lake, and the garish colors were not suited for decorating high-end Lake homes. Carroll recalls how Lake homeowners often walked into his Kansas City store, but left empty-handed, not having found the perfect map. Then, during a 2002 trip to Lake of the Ozarks, Carroll saw the beauty and extravagance of Lakefront homes and realized then why he had been unable to sell many maps.
That’s why, two years later, when he unrolled the lost Lake of the Ozarks map, Carroll knew he had found something special.
Shop for Lake of the Ozarks maps at GallupMap.com -- photo by Al Griffin
Gallup Map printed and framed several versions of the vintage map for a 2007 boat show. Customer reactions were overwhelmingly positive and enthusiastic. Many also asked if Gallup Map could provide map art for other lakes where they first learned to swim or ski, but it was Lake of the Ozarks that inspired the new direction for Gallup Map and Lake of the Ozarks fans who have launched the company on a new trajectory.
Since that 2007 boat show, Gallup Map has expanded its map art line to include honeymoon maps commemorating a couple’s first days together. These make personal, memorable wedding and anniversary gifts. Only antique maps are used for these because those maps represent the true art of cartography.
Shop University Maps -- photo by Al Griffin
Campus maps make ideal gifts for graduates. These show an iconic building from the student’s college campus with an antique regional map as background. The piece is pure nostalgia: with images meant to invoke the unique memories made during the student’s years in academia. The graduate’s name and year of graduation can be added to further personalize the art piece.
Another Gallup Map product, “Authentic Kansas City” is an extension of the company’s emphasis in previous decades: providing detailed maps for travelers without navigational systems on their phones or in their cars. T-shirts featuring a map or announcing Kansas City’s place in the wearer’s heart make unique gifts for those with roots in Kansas City.
The heart and star for the company continues to be that vintage, hand-drawn map of Lake of the Ozarks. The quality is stellar, of course, but stories that unfold as people enjoy them shine just as brightly.
Shop for Lake of the Ozarks maps, and many more, at GallupMap.com
