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Description

An exceptional example of Charles Drayton Gibbes rare map of the Gold Regions of California, published in Stockton, California and printed by Sherman & Smith in New York.

Gibbes finely colored map shows most of California (extending south to Santa Barbara), with a large number of gold region towns shown. Wheat notes:

This interesting map shows Santa Cruz County as `Branciforte' and contains numerous place names in the mining region. `Toualumne' City, Crescent City and Empire City all appear along the Tuolumne River below `Jackson's.' `Downingvile' and `Goodhue's Bar' are shown on the Yuba, on either side of Rich Bar. The map extends only to Santa Barbara in the south.

Lake Tahoe is referenced as "Mountain Lake" and there is still no sign of the discovery of Yosemite Valley. The map depicts and names the known gold mining camps and towns, and also identifies a number of Ferries on the principal rivers in the gold regions. There are also a number of early roads shown in the gold regions and also in Trinity County (which at the time ran from Mendocino County in the south to the Oregon Border and included Humboldt Bay, Trinidad Bay and the Klamath River), where the demands of the mining regions were spawning a need for timber.

The map includes a massive Lake Tulares and a still quite large Owens Lake. Wakers pass is shown in the mountains, southeast of Kern Lake. After a distinguished career as a mapmaker and civil engineer in California, Gibbes (1813-1893) became curator of mineralogy at the California Academy of Sciences, San Francisco. As Wheat notes, he left "a record of long-continued and important scientific service in his adopted state."

Condition Description
Brilliant original hand-color. Lithograph on fine 19th-century wove paper. Mounted in: 12mo. Original green morocco, gilt extra, gilt lettered on the front cover "GIBBES' / MAP OF THE / GOLD REGION / CALIFORNIA". 16 pages. Overall in exceptional condition.
Reference
Wheat, Gold Regions, 192. Streeter 2663.