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The 1876 edition of the General Land Office (GLO) map of the United States stands as a remarkable cartographic achievement of its time. This rare six-sheet map, encompassing the entire continental United States with an inset of Alaska, represents a pivotal moment in American mapping history. It belongs to a foundational series of large-scale Federal Government maps published by the GLO from 1864 onwards, marking a significant transition from military-led mapping efforts in the West (epitomized by the Warren-Freyhold maps produced under the auspices of the Topographical Engineers) to civilian federal oversight of the western territories.
Created under the direction of GLO Commissioner James Alexander Williamson, this map offers an extraordinarily comprehensive view of the United States as it stood in 1876. It details public surveys, Indian and military reservations, land grant railroads, and other critical infrastructural elements. The map's use of color coding - with green denoting Indian reservations and pink indicating other reserved lands - provides a clear visual representation of land classification across the country.
One of the map's most striking features is its depiction of existing and planned railroads, canals, and other infrastructure, illustrating the rapid development occurring in the American West during this period. The gridding throughout the map demonstrates the ongoing and systematic land survey efforts undertaken by the GLO, reflecting their commitment to creating an accurate and comprehensive representation of the nation's geography.
In certain regions, such as Florida, the map offers fascinating insights into the complex history of land ownership by highlighting various land grants dating back to the Spanish colonial era.
Lithographed by the renowned New York firm of Julius Bien, this map exemplifies the high-quality color-printing techniques available in the late 19th century.
The 1876 edition published under J. A. Williamson is the second iteration of a map first published one year earlier in 1875 by the GLO under S. S. Burdett. Drafted by Charles Roeser, it maintains much of the original content with some revisions. For instance, we note the absence of the Chi-ri-ca-hua Indian Reservation in southeastern New Mexico, which was present in the 1875 edition. This alteration reflects the dynamic nature of territorial boundaries and land designations during this period of rapid westward expansion and changing federal policies.
Rarity
Rare. No market history. OCLC records examples at Princeton, Yale, Cornell, the University of Arizona, and the Staatsbibliothek zu Berlin.
We have previously offered the 1875 edition twice.
General Land Office Large Maps of the United States to 1890
The General Land Office, which had been founded in 1812, began publishing official maps of the United States in 1864. The first iteration (1864-1865 or '66) of these maps focused on the United States west of the original colonies. Eventually, these publications would grow into large multi-sheet wall maps, which were published into the 20th century. The following is a preliminary list of maps from this series of publications up to 1890. It will be revised and potentially extended as time and information allows in the future.
1864. Map of the Public Land States and Territories constructed from The Public Surveys and other official sources in the General Land Office Drawn by J.H. Hawes, Principal Draughtsman T. Franks, Assistant 1864. Rumsey 4581.
1865. Map of the Public Land States and Territories constructed from The Public Surveys and other official sources in the General Land Office Drawn by J.H. Hawes, Principal Draughtsman T. Franks, Assistant 1865. BLR 106917.
1866. Map of the United States and Territories, Shewing the extent of Public Surveys and other details. Constructed From the Plats and official sources of the General Land Office Under the direction of the Hon. Jon. S. Wilson, Commissioner . . . 1866. BLR 99458.
1867. Map of the United States and Territories, Showing the extent of Public Surveys and other details, Constructed From the Plats and official sources of the General Land Office, Under the direction of Hon. Jos. S. Wilson, Commissioner, by Joseph Gorlinski, Draughtsman, 1867. Rumsey 1882.
1869. Map of the United States and Territories, Showing the extent of Public Surveys and other details, Constructed From the Plats and official sources of the General Land Office, Under the direction of Hon. Jos. S. Wilson, Commissioner, by Joseph Gorlinski, Draughtsman, 1868. Rumsey 1883.
1870.
1871. Map of the United States and Territories, Showing the extent of Public Surveys and other details, Constructed from the Plats and official sources of the General Land Office, Under the direction of the Hon. Willis Drummond, Commissioner, 1871, by C. Roeser, Draughtman. BPL G3701.B5 1871 .U55
1872.
1873. Map of the United States and Territories, Showing the Extent of Public Surveys, Indian and Military Reservations, Land Grant R.R., Rail Roads, Canals, and Other Details, Compiled from the Official Surveys of the General Land Office, and Other Authentic Sources, Under the Direction of Hon. Willis Drummond, Commissioner. Library of Congress G3700 1873 .U55
1875. Map of the United States and Territories. Showing The Extent of Public Surveys, Indian and Military Reservations, Land Grant RR, Rail Roads, Canals, and other Details. Compiled From the Official Surveys of the General Land Office . . S.S. Burdett. . . 1875. BLR 80634.
1876. Map of the United States and Territories. Showing The Extent of Public Surveys, Indian and Military Reservations, Land Grant RR, Rail Roads, Canals, and other Details. Compiled From the Official Surveys of the General Land Office. . . Hon. J.A. Williamson. . . 1876. BLR 106900.
1876. 1876 Centennial Map of the United States and territories showing the extent of public surveys, Indian and military reservations, land grant railroads, railroads, canals, cities, towns & other details, compiled from the official surveys of the General Land Office, and other authentic sources, under the direction of the Committee on Public Lands, House of Representatives. By W. L. Woods, Clerk of the Committee, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44 & 45 Congress. C. Roeser, Chief Draughtsman. See Phillips Maps, page 926.
1878. 1876 Centennial Map of the United States and territories showing the extent of public surveys, Indian and military reservations, land grant railroads, railroads, canals, cities, towns & other details, compiled from the official surveys of the General Land Office, and other authentic sources, under the direction of the Committee on Public Lands, House of Representatives. By W. L. Woods, Clerk of the Committee, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44 & 45 Congress. C. Roeser, Chief Draughtsman. Revised & corrected to 1878. Rumsey 1071.
1888.
1890. Map of the United States and Territories, with Adjacent Parts of Canada and Mexico also part of the West India Islands. Showing the Extent of Public Surveys, Indian and Military Reservations, Rail Roads, Canals, and Other Details. Compiled from the Official Surveys of the General Land Office and Other Authentic Sources. Under the Direction of the Hon. Lewis A. Groff, Commissioner. A.F. Dinsmore, Chief Draughting Division. Rumsey 3157.
The General Land Office (GLO) refers to the independent agency in the United States that was in charge of public domain lands. Created in 1812, it assumed the responsibilities for public domain lands from the United States Department of the Treasury. The Treasury had overseen the survey of the Northwest Territory, but as more area was added to the United States, a new agency was necessary to survey the new lands.
Eventually, the GLO would be responsible for the surveying, platting, and sale of the majority of the land west of the Mississippi, with the exception of Texas. When the Secretary of the Interior was created in 1849, the GLO was placed under its authority. Until the creation of the Forest Service in 1905, the GLO also managed forest lands that had been removed from public domain. In additional to managing the fees and sales of land, the GLO produced maps and plans of the areas and plots they surveyed. In 1946, the GLO merged with the United States Grazing Service to become the Bureau of Land Management.
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