It took David Carttar eight years of living in San Francisco to develop an appreciation for his hometown of Lawrence.

When he returned to Lawrence in 2000, he immersed himself in everything he could find on Lawrence history.

The result of his research was unveiled Wednesday: a 27-by-38-inch map commemorating the city’s 150th birthday.

“Before, I had little appreciation for the town I grew up in,” Carttar said. “To me, this is my love letter to Lawrence.”

The map, three years in the works, shows a bird’s-eye view of Lawrence, complete with topographical information provided by the city of Lawrence and the U.S. Geological Survey.

It has overlays showing routes such as the California-Oregon Trail, the original layout plan for the city and the development of roads, color-coded by historical era.

The map also identifies 242 historic locations in Lawrence, including sites of Bleeding Kansas skirmishes; former buildings, such as the original City Hall at Eighth and Vermont streets; and off-beat sites, such as a brewery owned by John Walruff, an opponent to Prohibition. Each location includes a one-sentence explanation of its importance.

“I wanted to make it interesting, why someone should even care why it’s on the map,” Carttar said.

Carttar graduated from KU in 1992 with degrees in geography and architecture. He works out of his home for San Francisco-based Risk Management Solutions.

David Carttar, Lawrence, has designed a map telling the history of Lawrence for the sesquicentennial of the city, which is this year. Carttar lived in San Francisco for eight years before returning to his hometown, when he wanted to create a love

He said he hoped the map would show the “layers” on which Lawrence residents had made history in their town since its founding in 1854.

“When we build a building or a road, we’re leaving a mark on the landscape,” he said. “A lot of these marks get erased, but a lot remain.”

The Lawrence Sesquicentennial Commission, which got its first view of the completed map Wednesday, paid to have 5,000 copies of the map printed. They will be available around Feb. 15 at retailers across Lawrence and will cost about $20 each.

Clenece Hills, chair of the Sesquicentennial Commission, said the map was one of the first major accomplishments of the commission, which started meeting four years ago. Events scheduled throughout the year include a parade and festival on Lawrence’s birthday, Sept. 18, a fund-raising project for a Sesquicentennial Plaza near Clinton Lake and the compilation of education materials on the city’s history.

“I think this is a very significant milestone,” Hills said of the map. “A lot of people were wondering if we were ever going to have anything to show for our time.”

She praised Carttar for his time volunteering.

“I don’t know how many hours he spent on it, but he has so much expertise, energy, talent and a great love for Lawrence,” she said. “Fifty years from now, the Bicentennial Committee will be looking for somebody like David.”

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