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[ Return to 19th century regional US maps ]
A landmark map of headwaters of many of the major rivers of the American West, an area at the intersection of Wyoming, Utah and Montana. From 1832 to 1835, Bonneville explored the northern parts of the American West, proceeding up the Platte River and for the first time crossing the South Pass with wagons, thus establishing the route for the thousands of emigrants who were soon to follow his path on the Oregon Trail. His expedition explored this region of the Rockies, including the Green, Snake and Columbia Rivers, the Great Salt Lake, and what would later become the California Trail across the Sierra Nevada Mountains.
In the area explored extensively by Bonneville were the sources of many of the great rivers of the west, including the Colorado, Missouri, Yellowstone, Snake, and Salmon. This map shows those sources carefully located among the complex mountain ranges of the region. Bonneville drew the map based on his explorations and it was a huge improvement on any rendering previously done. Carl Wheat says of it is "an excellent map, by far the best yet published of this region, "a map of real import." It was published in Washington Irving's The Adventures of Captain Bonneville, based on Bonneville's notes and manuscript maps, which Irving purchased from Bonneville for $1,000. It is a landmark map of the American West. CWL On approval
"Map of the State of California, The Territories of Oregon & Utah, and the chief part of New Mexico." From Universal Atlas. Philadelphia: Thomas, Cowperthwait & Co., [1850]-1851. Copyright, H.B. Burroughs, 1845. 15 1/2 x 12 7/8. Lithographic transfer from an engraved plate. Original hand color. Full margins. Very good condition.
A mid-century map of the western part of the United States, one of the first maps to show the state of California and the territories of Utah and New Mexico. The map is an updated version of a map that appeared in S. Augustus Mitchell's Universal Atlas of 1849. The southern part of the region shown in that map, "Upper California," had just been won from Mexico in 1848, and Mitchell's map was important for presenting the vast new U.S. territories to the American public. In 1850, the rights to Mitchell's atlas were sold to the firm of Thomas, Cowperthwait & Co., which reissued the atlas with some updating. That year the newly acquired lands were divided by Congress into the state of California and two territories, Utah and New Mexico; Thomas, Cowperthwait & Co. revised the Mitchell map accordingly.
Besides the new political information that appeared on this map, what had appeared on the 1849 map as the "Great Interior Basin" is now somewhat filled in based on Fremont's map, renamed "Fremont Basin." Other topographical features included considerable orography, rivers, and lakes. The Great Salt Lake is shown, next to which is "Salt Lake City. Mormon Set.," which had just been settled in 1847. Early settlements and a coastal road are illustrated in California, and the old Spanish trail between Santa Fe and Los Angeles is also indicated. Of further interest is the prominent depiction of the Oregon Trail, shown snaking from present-day Colorado to the Columbia River. The entire region north of Utah and California appears as the Oregon Territory, which it remained until the Washington Territory was created in 1853. Thomas, Cowperthwait & Co. continued to revise this map, for in 1851 they came out with a further up-dated map retitled "A New Map of the State of California," and with more information provided on the counties of the territories and state. This is a fascinating and historical important map, one of the first to show the new political situation in the west after the Compromise of 1850. $875
"Map No. 10. United States." From Roswell C. Smith's A Precise and Practical System of Geography. New York: Burgess & Co., 1853. 10 1/4 x 8 7/8. Lithograph. Original hand color. Very good condition. Denver.
A small but interesting map of the configuration on the western U.S. shortly after gold was discovered in California. Shows Washington and Oregon extending from the Pacific to the crest of the Rockies, and Utah and New Mexico extending from California to the Rockies. Nebraska and the North West Territory are shown in part. $150
Carl Flemming. "Californien, Oregon, Utah und Neu-Mejico." From Heinrich Berghaus's Vollständiger Universal-Handatlas. Glogau, Germany: C. Flemming, 1854. 15 1/2 x 13 5/8. Lithograph by C. Flemming. Original outline color. Very good condition. Denver.
Carl Flemming was the founder of an important German firm located in Berlin and Glogau and this map shows characteristic German detail. Germans were very interested in the western parts of the United States at this time and the atlas from which this map came contained not only two maps of the United States as a whole-one single sheet and one four part map-but also a number of regional maps including this one of the region to the west of the Rocky Mountains. The topography is graphic but quite confused. The entire region is shown consisting only of California and the three territories of Oregon-which encompass the entire northwest corner-Utah and New Mexico. $475
"Territories of New Mexico and Utah." New York: J.H. Colton, 1855. Second state, 1855-56. 12 1/2 x 15 1/2. Lithograph. Full original hand color. Very good condition. Brown: 2; Wheat: 832. Denver.
An early example of J.H. Colton's important map of the American Southwest. With the American victory in the Mexican War (1846-48), the United States gained a huge amount of land to the west of the Louisiana Territory. In 1850, the territory gained outside of California was divided into two territories: Utah to the north, the home of the s, and New Mexico to the south. This was one of the first maps to show this region and this early version of Colton's map--which went through at least 12 states until 1863--shows the original configuration of the two territories. The map is copious in its detail, forts, Indian tribes, counties, mountains, rivers, lakes are all clearly depicted. The information is impressively accurate, being based on the various explorations in the area. The routes of a number of these explorers are shown, including those of Fremont, Stansbury, Kearney and Gunnison (the latter noting that "Capt. Gunnison Killed by Indians"). Also indicated are the Cimarron Route from Ft. Leaveworth to Santa Fe, the Spanish route from Santa Fe to Los Angeles, the Oregon Route, and the different proposed routes for the transcontinental railroad. This map is interesting in showing Colorado (then mostly part of the Kansas Territory) just before the Gold Rush of 1858-1861. Over the next 8 years, this region would undergo tremendous changes, documented well in Colton's series of maps, of which this is the second state. $395
"Territories of New Mexico and Utah." New York: J.H. Colton. Fourth state, 1857-58. 12 1/2 x 15 1/2. Lithograph. Full original hand color. Very good condition. Brown: 4; cf. Wheat: 832.
A slightly later edition of the map above, but without the decorative border. $350
"A New Map of the State of California, The Territories of Oregon, Washington, Utah & New Mexico." Philadelphia: Charles Desilver, 1856. 16 x 12 3/4. Lithograph. Original hand color. Very good condition. Denver.
Charles Desilver, one of the many publishers working in Philadelphia during the mid-nineteenth century, issued an atlas of maps based on the famous Tanner-Mitchell-Cowperthwait series. Desilver used much the same information as originally drawn in the 1840s, but updated the maps with new counties, roads, towns, etc. Here the country west of the Rockies is depicted with the state of California and the rest comprised of just four territories: Washington, Oregon, Utah and New Mexico. Settlement in those territories was quite sparse at the time, with some cities shown, and a number of counties developed in the western part of the northern most territories. The map was issued just after the Gadsden Treaty (1854) so the current southern border with Mexico is depicted. Of note are depictions of the southern route proposed for the Pacific Railroad, the Spanish trail from Santa Fe to Los Angeles, the routes of Lewis & Clark and Fremont, and the Oregon Trail. Forts are indicated, as are the territories of various Indian tribes. Of interest is the small section entitled "Middle Park," which is shown as part of Utah, but which is currently part of Colorado (the western part of which is shown as part of Kansas Territory. Overall, a terrific and up-to-date map of the western United States. $650
F.W. von Egloffstein after surveys by John N. Macomb. "Map of Explorations and Surveys in New Mexico and Utah...by Capt. J.N. Macomb Topl. Engrs....1806." New York: Geographical Institute, 1864. 30 3/4 x 37 1/4. Tinted aquatint engraving. Some separation and very light discoloration at folds. Overall, very good condition. Wheat: 983. Denver.
A nice example of what Carl Wheat called "one of the most beautiful maps ever published by the Army," a map that "is a landmark map for various regions." It shows the region around the "four corners" in the American Southwest, based on surveys from an 1860 expedition led by Captain John N. Macomb to explore the Old Spanish Trail from New Mexico towards Utah. The expedition is important in its confirmation that the Green and "Grand" (now Colorado) Rivers joined to form the Colorado just above the Grand Canyon. The map was printed in 1864, but didn't actually get published until 1875 because of the Civil War.
Wheat's comments on its importance is not only based on its geographical significance, but also because of its documentation of the routes of various explorer's routes, including Macomb's as well as those of Gunnison, Marcy, and Father Escalante and others. The last factor in Wheat's judgments is it striking appearance, where it looks almost three dimensional. This is the result of a technique of depicting topography developed by F.W. Egloffstein, where his intent was to "give his map the appearance of a small plaster model of the country." This was achieved by applying very fine lines on the plate by use of a ruling machine (done by Samuel Sartain), which were then exposed to acid to varying degrees to achieve the desired appearance. Only a few maps where made using this difficult process and this is the finest example thereof. The map is a wonderful depiction of the main drainage areas of the American Southwest, as well as many other features such as pueblos, archaeological sites and settlements, all conveyed with a remarkable appearance that few other maps have every matched. $1,800
"Williams' New Trans-Continental Map of the Pacific R.R. and Routes of Overland Travel to Colorado, Nebraska, The Black Hills, Utah, Idaho, Nevada, Montana California and the Pacific Coast." New York: Henry T. Williams, 1877. 22 3/4 x 36 1/2. Lithography (Osborne's Process) by A.M. Photo-Litho Company, N.Y. Original hand color. Separation at folds repaired on verso. Very good condition. Denver.
A terrific, folding railroad guide of the American West about a decade after the completion of the trans-Continental Railroad. The map extends from Omaha to the west coast and its focus is on that landmark Pacific Railroad, the route of which-with all its stops-is shown with a bold black line. Also depicted in bold are important off-shoot lines, including a number in California, including the Southern Pacific R.R., and lines to Eureka, Nevada, and Denver, Colorado. The Northern Pacific Railroad, then under construction across the northern part of the county, is indicated, but not in bold. Other lines, including proposed routes, and stage routes are also shown. The map highlights the states with contrasting colors and many towns, settlements and forts are named. Orography is graphically indicated and impressively up-to-date, giving a good picture of the topography of the West. On the back of the guide are advertisements for railroad lines, hotels, and time tables. A most graphic and decorative map. $1,400
Go to a sequence of maps of this same area, from about 1860 to 1880
S. Augustus Mitchell Jr. "County Map of Utah and Nevada." Philadelphia: 1865. 11 1/4 x 13 3/4. Drawn and engraved by W. H. Gamble. Hand color. Very good condition. Denver.
For most of the middle part of the nineteenth century, the firm founded by S. Augustus Mitchell, Sr. dominated American cartography in output and influence. This fine map is from one of his son's atlases, and it shows Utah and Nevada in the final year of the Civil War. Towns, rivers, roads and other topographical information are clearly shown, and the counties are shaded with contrasting pastel colors. A fine decorative border surrounds the map, and the whole effect makes for an attractive and historically interesting mid-nineteenth century map. Although dated to 1865, the map shows Nevada's eastern boundary at the 115th meridian. However, when Nevada was granted statehood in 1864, its eastern border was relocated further east to the 114th meridian. $140
S. Augustus Mitchell Jr. "County Map of Utah and Nevada." Philadelphia: 1867. 11 3/8 x 14. Drawn and engraved by W. H. Gamble. Hand color. Very good condition.
An updated version of the above map from the Mitchell firm. Published two years later, this map shows the newly formed Lincoln Country, and Utah's expanded land claim eastwardly to the 114th meridian, giving it further access to navigable waterways. In 1867, Congress ceded more than 18,000 square miles of land from the Arizona Territory to the state of Nevada, giving Nevada access to the Colorado River. Although not seen in this map, these are Nevada's borders as we know them today. $140
"Asher & Adams' Utah." Washington: Asher & Adams, [1874] - 1875. 16 3/8 x 22 1/2. Lithograph. Original hand color. Very good condition. Denver.
It was only towards the latter part of the nineteenth century that today's western states took their status as independent territories and then states. Thus, it wasn't before then that there were individual maps of these states. Asher & Adams' atlas issued in 1875 contained quite a number such maps, and these are amongst the earliest available of the individual states. Each contains good detail of towns, roads, rivers, early survey-lines, and political divisions. Though the Territory of Utah was established in 1850-as part of the Compromise of 1850-it wasn't admitted as a state until 1896. This map is particularly interesting in showing the route of the first transcontinental railroad, including Promontory Point, where the golden spike was driven into the rail on May 10, 1869. $135
"Utah." Philadelphia: O.W. Gray & Son, 1878. 15 x 12 3/4. Lithograph. Original color. Somewhat brittle. Else, very good condition. Denver.
A nicely detailed map of the state by the Philadelphia firm of O.W. Gray and Son. The firm began its publishing around mid-century and published regional and U.S. atlases up to the 1880s. This map of Utah showing the territory after it had acquired its present borders. The map is impressive in its topographical detail. Shows the myriad mountains and ridges, lakes, settlements, railroads, and each county is highlighted with a contrasting color. $150
S. Augustus Mitchell. "County and Township Map of Utah and Nevada." 1880. 14 1/4 x 21 5/8. Hand color. Very good condition.
A new map of Utah and Nevada from the S. Augustus Mitchell firm of Philadelphia. Rich in detail with much topographical information, the map also shows development of the plat system of surveying, just beginning in the new states west of the Mississippi River. Oddly, the map does not include all of the southern portion of Nevada below the 37th parallel. $95
W.M. Bradley. "County and Township Map of Utah and Nevada." W.M. Bradley & Bros., 1884. 14 3/8 x 21 5/8. Hand color. Very good condition.
An updated version of the above Mitchell map, published by Bradley. This map shows new political boundaries in Utah with the introduction of new counties, and it includes an inset of the southern tip of Nevada at the bottom left of the main map. $85
"Utah." Chicago: Geo F. Cram, c. 1890. 12 1/8 x 9 3/4. Wax engraving. Very good condition.
A colorful, detailed map of Utah from the latter part of the nineteenth century. The George Cram Company was an engraving and publishing firm from Chicago. In the mid-nineteenth century, the center of cartographic publishing was New York City, but in the 1880's this began to shift towards Chicago with the advent of the Rand, McNally and Cram firms. These firms were noted for their efficient output of precise maps filled with useful and up-to-date details on roads, towns, railroads, and so forth. Decorative border as shown. Arizona shown on reverse. $65
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