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"The Best Map of Pennsylvania to appear in the 18th century, and the first detailed map of the State to show its exact boundaries"(Wheat and Brun)
Reading Howell's A Map Of The State Of Pennsylvania stands as a pioneering example of early Federal state cartography, a genre that flourished in the years following the American Revolution. Published in London on August 1, 1792, this large-scale engraved map epitomizes the new nation's efforts to accurately document its territories.
Howell's work belongs to a distinguished group of state maps produced during this pivotal period, including Dennis Griffith's Map of the State of Maryland (1795), Mathew Carey and Elihu Barker's A Map of Kentucky from Actual Survey by Elihu Barker (1792), James Whitelaw's A Correct Map of the State of Vermont (1796), and Osgood Carleton's An Accurate Map of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts... (1798). Maps of this genre collectively represent a significant leap forward in American cartography, reflecting the young republic's growing geographic knowledge and its commitment to precise territorial definition. Howell's Pennsylvania map, consisting of four engraved plates mounted as one large image, exemplifies the grand scale and quintessentially American style characteristic of these Early Federal cartographic endeavors.
Commissioned by the Pennsylvania Assembly in 1789, Howell completed this masterpiece in just two years. He drew upon a wealth of sources, including his own surveys, pre-Revolutionary works by Nicolas and William Scull, and extensive military records from the War of Independence. This compilation of data resulted in a map that far surpassed previous efforts in accuracy and detail.
Howell's map is notable for several groundbreaking features. It was the first to accurately depict Pennsylvania's western border with Ohio, delineate the state's county structure, and showcase numerous towns, cities, natural resources, and topographical features previously unmapped. These advancements made it the definitive map of Pennsylvania well into the 19th century.
Transcription
The text at the top right reads as follows:
District of Pennsylvania to wit. Be it remembered, that on the eleventh day of January in the Seventh Year of Independence of the United States of America, came Reading Howell, of the said District, hath deposited in this Office, the Title of a Map, the right whereof he claims as Author in the including words following, to wt " A Map of the States of Pennsylvania (One of the United States of America) includint the Triangle lately purchased of Congress, and containing the Boundary Lines of the State, as run by the respective Commissioners, with part of Lake Erie, and Presqu'Isle. Also by actual Survey the Rivers Susquehanna, its North-east and West Branches, Tyoga, Sinnemahoning, Juniatta, Lehigh. Lexawacsein, Schuylkill, and the western Rivers _ Ohio, Allegeny, Conewango, purt of the Chautaughque Lake, and French Creek, agreeably to the late Discoveries, Monaungehela, Yoxhiogeni, and Kiskemanetas. and the larger Creeks, and most of the lesser Streams, Mountains, the old principal Roads, with the many now ones in the northen and westere parts of the State, and the Portages and communications from the late Surveys in order of Government. The Divisions, Lines of the respective Counties and Townships, Delineation of the Districts of Depreciation and Donation Lands, with all the other District's in the new Purchase, The Seats of Justice in the respective Counties, Iron works, Manufactories, Minerals, and other noted Places, by Reading Howell. In conformity to the Act of the Congress of the United States, Intituled "An Act for the encouragement of Learning by securing the Copies of Maps, Charts, and Books to the Authors and Proprietors of such Copies during the times therein mentioned.
Samuel Caldwell, Clerk on the District of Pennsylvania.
One of the more fascinating elements of the map's production history is that while its maker, Reading Howell, was a resident of Pennsylvania, he commissioned James Phillips to engrave the map in London. An example of the correspondence between Howell and the Phillips regarding the map production can be found here.
Over the course of the next several decades, the map would be re-issued by Howell in several formats.
States
The map's production spanned several months, with multiple states issued to incorporate ongoing corrections and additions. This example exhibits a mixed state, typical of surviving copies according to Wheat and Brun. Three sheets date from the second state (1792), while the lower left sheet represents the fifth state (post-1799), identifiable by the extended Clearfield Creek and the fully spelled "Chest Creek" and "Allegheny M." spelled thusly.
Rarity
The map is rare on the market, especially the early states.
Reading Howell (1743–1827) was a distinguished American engineer, surveyor, and landowner, based in Pennsylvania, whose professional life spanned the transformative period from colonial times through the early years of the United States. Renowned for his surveying and cartographic skills, Howell played a pivotal role in the mapping and development of Pennsylvania during the late 18th and early 19th centuries.
Born into the era preceding the American Revolutionary War, Howell's contributions to surveying began to gain prominence as the newly formed United States embarked on establishing its geographic and civic infrastructures. His work included detailed surveys of major Pennsylvania waterways—the Delaware, Lehigh, and Schuylkill Rivers—which were critical for commerce and transportation in the burgeoning nation.
In 1789, recognizing his expertise, the Pennsylvania assembly commissioned Howell to create a comprehensive map of the state for the substantial sum of two hundred pounds. Published in 1792, this map was the first of Pennsylvania to be issued after the American Revolutionary War. It stood out as the most detailed and accurate representation of the state at the time, incorporating extensive cartographic data accumulated by both American and British military surveyors during the war. This map not only served as a vital tool for state planning and development but also as a significant artifact in the cartographic history of the United States.
From 1804 until his death in 1827, Howell held prominent civic roles in Philadelphia, including "Principal City Surveyor" and "City Regulator." In these capacities, he was intimately involved in urban planning and the resolution of land disputes, leaving an indelible mark on the physical and legal landscape of the city. His surveys and maps became authoritative resources, used extensively in legal settings and city planning.
Howell’s legacy is cemented in the annals of American surveying and cartography, with his early works remaining a reference point for historians and cartographers studying the post-revolutionary period. His meticulous records and maps continue to be valued for their historical significance and precision, reflecting the foundational years of American geography and the critical role of surveyors in shaping the nation’s early development.
![The Cities of Pittsburgh and Allegheny with Parts of Adjacent Boroughs [with] The City of Cincinnati Ohio.](https://storage.googleapis.com/raremaps/img/small/82569.jpg)
