Yes, you could get USGS topographic maps before, but they were in large, cumbersome PDFs that were difficult to find and even harder to print.

USGS topoView The maps can be downloaded in various formats, including KMZ for viewing in Google Earth. A topographic map of Fort Smith, Arkansas, from 1887.

Using scanned maps and data from the United States Geological Survey (USGS), Esri developed an interactive tool to explore topographic maps of the US.

It just got way, way easier to search and browse the US Geological Survey’s collection of historical topographic maps, thanks to a new online map viewer.

As the US Topo product evolves, the USGS will provide digital, historical versions of USGS topographic map quadrangles and will incorporate additional geographic data layers from The National Map.

National Geographic's TOPO! includes authentic, full-color USGS topographic maps, scanned at high resolution and seamlessly tiled together.