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This scarce 1874 large format map, created by G.W. & C.B. Colton, details the counties, towns, railroads, and topographical features of the United States as the Fontier Era was coming to an end. Various geographic and transportation features are labeled, including rivers, mountains, and railroads. Maritime routes are adorned with illustrations of steamships, enhancing the map's decorative appeal. By 1874, the period of major reconfiguration in the borders of the contiguous states and territories of the United States had largely concluded; the last major change would come in 1889 when North and South Dakota were split.
In the West, the map prominently features numerous forts, reflecting the context of the Plains Indian Wars during the late 19th century. Forts such as Fort Laramie and Fort Sully are marked, indicating their strategic significance during this period of conflict between the United States government and various Native American tribes. Additionally, the map identifies key geographical features like the Black Hills and the Badlands (referred to as "Les Mauvaises Terres"), which were central to the disputes and skirmishes of the era.
The inset map of North America focuses on the newly acquired Territory of Alaska, which was ceded by Russia to the United States in 1867. The western hemisphere inset includes ocean routes from the United States to various parts of the world, providing a broader context of trade and transportation during this period. Notable features include detailed annotations about the Gulf of Mexico's dimensions and water temperature, emphasizing its differences from the Atlantic Ocean.
G. W. & C. B. Colton was a prominent family firm of mapmakers who were leaders in the American map trade in the nineteenth century. The business was founded by Joseph Hutchins Colton (1800-1893) who bought copyrights to existing maps and oversaw their production. By the 1850s, their output had expanded to include original maps, guidebooks, atlases, and railroad maps. Joseph was succeeded by his sons, George Woolworth (1827-1901) and Charles B. Colton (1831-1916). The firm was renamed G. W. & C. B. Colton as a result. George is thought responsible for their best-known work, the General Atlas, originally published under that title in 1857. In 1898, the brothers merged their business and the firm became Colton, Ohman, & Co., which operated until 1901, when August R. Ohman took on the business alone and dropped the Colton name.
