Colton's Map of the States and Territories West of the Mississippi River to the Pacific Ocean showing the Overland Routes, Projected Rail Road Lines etc.

1877 Colton Map of the United States West of the Mississippi

Publication Date: 1877

About this Item

Good. Stabilized on archival tissue. Multiple repaired and stabilized splits along original fold lines. Slight loss at some fold intersections. Size 29.5 x 43.5 Inches. An impressive 1877 Colton large-scale map of the United States west of the Mississippi River. The map was issued during a period of mass westward migration, opportunity, and development. The Central Pacific Railroad was completed in 1869, and when this map was issued, both the Northern Pacific and the Southern Pacific, as well as numerous ancillary railroads, were well underway. The California Gold Rush was over, but massive gold and silver discoveries followed in Colorado, Nevada, Oregon, and Washington, driving wealth into the economy and spurring high-paced development and urbanization. New states and territories appeared annually: Colorado became a state one year before this map was issued. A Closer Look Coverage embraces the western United States from the Pacific to the Mississippi River - with extensions breaking the eastern border to include Chicago and New Orleans. The map focuses on political divisions and transportation, with overland routes, rivers, and, most significantly, existing and proposed railroads prominent. Numerous forts appear in New Mexico - evidence of continuous warfare with the Apache. Publication History and Census This map was first issued in 1864, although in a smaller format with the title on the right side. That map was likely published in response to the rise of the Bancroft firm in San Francisco and their publications of similar maps. The map was expanded to roughly twice the 1864 size in 1872 when an elaborate decorative border was added, and the title moved to the lower left. The map was regularly and systematically updated as new roads, railroads, and political divisions emerged. Consequently, multiple editions appeared well into the 1880s. Well represented institutionally but scarce to the market. References: OCLC 1113869417. Wheat, C. I., Mapping of the Transmississippi West, 1540 1861, #1099.

Seller Inventory # WesternStates-colton-1877

Bibliographic Details

• Title: Colton's Map of the States and Territories West of the Mississippi River to the Pacific Ocean showing the Overland Routes, Projected Rail Road Lines etc.
• Publication Date: 1877
• Seller catalogs:
  • UNITED-STATES-MAPS