Sign In

The First State of This Holy Grail of American Maps of the Upper Midwest.

John Farmer's 1830 map of the Upper Midwest stands out for its unusual format, distinctive spellings, and intricate details, making it a foundational depiction of the region that would later encompass Michigan, Wisconsin, and Minnesota. The map captures an early American perspective on a vast, developing area, bridging the gap between the unknown and the emerging settlements of the frontier.

The map owes its layout and orientation to the 1824 Map of the Country Embracing the Route of the Expedition of 1823 commanded by Major S.H. Long, from the Philadelphia-published Narrative of an Expedition to the Source of St. Peter's River, Lake Winnepeck, Lake of the Woods, &c. Yet Farmer’s work represents a categorical improvement on Long’s map, incorporating many details from Long's accompanying text that were previously absent from his cartography.

Farmer’s map spans the western Great Lakes through the Boundary Waters to key fur trading centers like Pembina and Assiniboine. It encompasses the full extent of what was then the Michigan Territory and attempts to anticipate the creation of "Wisconsin Territory." Notably, it marks a "Boundary Line between Michigan & Wisconsin according to the Bill now before the Senate of the U.S.A. March 3d 1829," a division proposed, but not realized, seven years before the actual establishment of Wisconsin Territory by Congress on April 20, 1836. During the interim, it was common to see Wisconsin (or “Wisconsan” or “Ouisconsin”) "annexed to Michigan" in descriptions, reflecting the fluid nature of territorial boundaries. A note in Farmer's explanation gives further context: "Michigan Territory extends West to the Mississippi R. but it is expected a new Territory will shortly be set off by the name of Ouisconsin."

Engraved by Rawdon Clark & Company of Albany, New York, where the accompanying Emigrants' Guide was also printed, this map captures both the advancing American frontier and an attempt to document Native American settlements in detail. Its political geography draws immediate attention, with a premature "Ouisconsin Territory" stretching from Lake Michigan to the Missouri River. The extensive physical geography includes precise measurements of waterfalls and river widths throughout the area.

Yet, it is Farmer’s comprehensive documentation of human geography that elevates this as one of the great American regional maps. By capturing the westward spread of settlement, Farmer’s map preserves a critical moment in American expansion, depicting a landscape where Native American communities and newly established American settlements coexisted within an evolving frontier. The map locates and labels dozens of Native American villages, specifying their populations and tribal affiliations, while also marking the positions of American settlements, towns, trading posts, missions, and roads. This catalog of human presence and activity offers a vivid view of the migration routes shaping the Midwest, as communities in Michigan and Indiana expanded north and westward toward Minnesota. In Illinois and Wisconsin, a distinct pattern of settlement emerges, with new communities extending eastward and northward from the Mississippi.

Farmer’s work traces vital points of cultural exchange and commerce. In the missions and trading posts, we see layered interactions between Indigenous communities and settlers, while the network of roads demonstrates the infrastructure gradually knitting these disparate settlements together. This map provides an invaluable snapshot of the Upper Midwest at a time when European-American settlements were encroaching on Indigenous lands, and each labeled village, mission, and trading post represents the dynamic, often contentious, interactions that would shape the region’s history.

Farmer’s map is a tour-de-force that both anticipates and records the burgeoning American presence in the Upper Midwest. This work laid the foundation for a Michigan mapmaking dynasty that would endure for decades, a testament to John Farmer’s vision and skill.

Michigan

In southern Michigan, the organized township and range system extends northward to the "Kekalamazoo R[iver]" and continues up to the Grand River, with the eastern boundary reaching north to Saginaw. This structured land survey signifies the progress of American settlement in southern half of the territory, establishing a framework for future expansion and development.

In western Michigan, early settlement centers around "Rev. McCoy Miss[ionar]y Est.," associated with "Bawqueting V[illage]" and "Muck-a-ta-slias V[illage]." Farther up the Grand River, a "Tr[ading] Post" is noted at the "Forks," an area that would eventually develop into Grand Rapids—its namesake rapids indicated by a series of hatches on the map.

Henry Rowe Schoolcraft played an instrumental role as a source for Farmer, providing information from his 1820 expedition around Lake Michigan and the Michigan Peninsula. Farmer traces Schoolcraft’s route day by day in specific areas, drawing from the insights and firsthand observations Schoolcraft recorded on his journey.

Of the few American settlements marked in the area, "Annarbour" appears as a small outpost west of Detroit, indicating the beginnings of what would become a major center of settlement.

Five years before the "Toledo War," Farmer has given the Toledo Strip to Michigan—a contentious claim that would lead to boundary disputes between Michigan and Ohio, ultimately resolved by Congress in 1836.

Wisconsin

The map captures Wisconsin six years before it officially became a territory on July 4, 1836. At the time, boundaries and designations were still fluid, and, as noted earlier, Farmer anticipated the establishment of Wisconsin as its own territory as early as 1829, based on a bill then under consideration by Congress. However, this was premature, and Wisconsin would remain annexed to the Michigan Territory until Congress finally formalized its territorial status.

In 1830, Wisconsin’s limited settlement activity is almost entirely concentrated in the southeastern portion, divided by the “Ouisconsin” and Fox Rivers, which form a natural axis through the region. Along this route, Farmer noted James Duane Doty's Route, a key passage developed to connect the Fox River Valley to the lead mining areas in the southwest. At "Milwalky," there is only a minimal sign of future development; Farmer’s map simply notes “Potawe Vill. & two Am[erica]n Families,” hinting at the early presence of Potawatomi and American settlers.

Northern Wisconsin appears largely uninhabited on the map, with settlement limited to a sparse network of trading posts. These are labeled with population counts—“Tr. Post Popn. 113,” “Tr. Post Popn. 278,” etc.—and indicate the modest presence of traders and Indigenous people in these areas. Notable observations include descriptions of rivers as “Very Rapid” or “Navigable by Canoe” and the mention of a Sturgeon Fishery on the southern shore of Lake Superior. The copper deposits of Michigan’s Upper Peninsula are marked, hinting at the mining boom that would unfold later in the century.

The map devotes particular attention to southwest Wisconsin, a region densely marked with sites and landmarks that foreshadow its significance in the Black Hawk War of 1832. This conflict, involving U.S. forces and a group of Sauk and Fox led by Chief Black Hawk, highlighted the fierce Native American resistance to American encroachment. Farmer’s map captures settlements, forts, mining operations, and other sites central to the area’s contested landscape, illustrating the layered dynamics of the region.

Southwest Wisconsin’s appeal to settlers stemmed from the discovery of rich lead deposits, which were vital to ammunition production and industrial development in the early 19th century. By the 1820s, mining towns like Gratiot’s Grove and Shullsburg had emerged, attracting waves of settlers eager to capitalize on these resources. However, this rapid influx often led to direct competition with Native American communities, including the Sauk, Fox, and Ho-Chunk, who had long valued these lands for their own cultural and economic purposes.

Tensions over land and resources eventually erupted in the Black Hawk War of 1832, when Chief Black Hawk sought to reclaim lost territory, contesting the growing American presence. The conflict underscored the deep-rooted friction between Native American land rights and U.S. expansion, serving as a critical moment that led to further displacement of Native communities throughout the Midwest.

Farmer’s comprehensive documentation of this region captures the intersection of Native and settler claims, with a mixture of diggings, forts, villages, and military sites occupying contested spaces. By including Native American settlements alongside American mining camps and forts, Farmer’s map offers a vivid record of early Wisconsin’s complex human geography, capturing a region defined by economic opportunity, cultural conflict, and impending transformation on the path to statehood.

This map predates by seven years the first great map of Wisconsin Territory, Hinman & Dutton's Map of the Settled Part of Wisconsin Territory...

Minnesota

Farmer’s is the most detailed mapping of the Minnesota region before the publication of Joseph N. Nicollet’s landmark 1842 Map of the Hydrographical Basin of the Upper Mississippi River. Building extensively on Major Long's 1823 expedition, Farmer brings Long’s population data directly from his text to map, providing population figures for various settlements and regions, many of which range in the hundreds or even thousands.

Farmer traces Long’s route, marks the daily camps, and transcribes Long's observations about each location. This precision makes Farmer’s map an invaluable visual document, especially for understanding the demographics and settlements in early Minnesota.

In the area of present-day Twin Cities, the map marks the Falls of St. Anthony, Fort Snelling, Fountain Cove, and Petite Corbeau (Little Crow) Village along the Mississippi River, On the Minnesota River, which is still referred to as St. Peter’s River on the map, close to where Minneapolis now stands, Farmer notes a Taoapa Village with a population of 300 and an Oanoska Village with a population of 200.

Further south, Red Wing is identified as “Talangamane or Red Wing’s Village,” alongside the notable Grange Hill, 400 feet high. At the confluence of the Blue Earth River (or Makato Osa Watapa) and the Minnesota River, near present-day Mankato, Farmer records the "Rem[ain]s of Old Ft. Huillier" with a population of 1,000.

This map predates by 20 years the first great map of Minnesota Territory, the Cowperthwait Map of the Organized Counties of Minnesota.

Illinois

Farmer’s map shows Chicago, located just north of Fort Dearborn across the Chicago River, three years before its official founding on August 12, 1833. Though Chicago had appeared on maps as early as the 18th century, this map still captures an early and rare representation of the city and its fort, underscoring the strategic importance of this location on the western Great Lakes. Fort Dearborn, originally built in 1803, was a military outpost intended to secure U.S. interests in the region, especially given its position on a key waterway connecting the Great Lakes to the Mississippi River.

A proposed canal, illustrated on the map, runs from Chicago and Fort Dearborn to the Riviere des Plaines (Des Plaines River), which flows southward to eventually connect with the Illinois River. This canal would provide a critical link between Lake Michigan and the Mississippi River, creating a direct water route from the Great Lakes to the Gulf of Mexico. The canal, which was eventually built as the Illinois and Michigan Canal, would become a vital artery for trade and transportation, transforming Chicago into a central hub of commerce in the Midwest.

Following Long’s 1823 route, the map shows his path along the Rock River near the Illinois-Wisconsin border, passing through Prophet’s Village and Winn Village, sites of significance for the Sauk and Fox tribes. Long also noted the presence of ancient Native American mounds in the area, many of which are marked on Farmer’s map, capturing an early record of these archaeological sites.

In the northwest corner of Illinois, the dense settlement patterns seen in southwestern Wisconsin continue, with activity centered along the Mississippi River. Further south, at the confluence of the Rock and Mississippi Rivers, Fort Armstrong and an Indian Agency are noted, alongside a Sac & Fox Village, illustrating the continued interaction between U.S. military outposts and Native American communities in this strategically valuable area.

The township and range system had yet to be fully applied across Illinois at the time of this map, leaving the northern portion without surveyed townships, an indication of the state’s ongoing development and gradual settlement.

Conclusion

John Farmer’s 1830 map of the Territories of Michigan and Ouisconsin offers an unparalleled, detailed view of the Upper Midwest, capturing a region on the verge of transformation with a density of information and accuracy unmatched by other maps of the period. This map integrates geographic and demographic data from Major Stephen H. Long’s 1823 expedition and reflects Farmer’s ambition to document both Native American settlements and the rapidly expanding American frontier. With extensive population details, it marks forts, villages, trading posts, mining sites, and infrastructure. Farmer’s work covers the Michigan Territory, future Wisconsin, and Minnesota, as well as parts of Canada, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, and the Dakotas. This map serves as a historical record of a complex human landscape, illustrating the interaction between Indigenous and American interests and setting the stage for the development of the region.

A Note on the Date

Though the first state is title-dated 1830, the map was constructed and perhaps completed, in 1829. The imprint line reads "Entered according to Act of Congress in the Clerks Office of the Circuit & District Court of Detroit in the Territory of Michigan by John Farmer, on the 11th. day of May 1829." A previously mentioned note in Lake Michigan refers to a bill "now before" the U.S. Senate in March of 1829. The second is a note that appears on Silas Farmer's Township and Railroad Map of Michigan, which ends, "The First Map ever made of the region of country now comprised in the States of Michigan and Wisconsin, was made by the predecessor of our firm, Mr. John Farmer, in 1829."

Rarity

The map and guide are very rare; we have been actively--and until now unsuccessfully--searching for it for decades.

Prior to this example, the last complete copy offered at auction was in 1962 (Parke Bernet).

No example of the map separate from the guide is noted in RBH or OldMaps.com

The second state of the map was offered by Richard Arkway in 1999, Catalog 50: America & the Great Lakes; Discovery & Settlement. That being the best dealer catalog for maps of Michigan and the Great Lakes perhaps ever issued.

We note examples of the first state of the map at the Library of Congress, University of Michigan, Wisconsin Historical Society, Yale / Beinecke Library, and the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library. The first state not in the Maclean Collection. No state of the map in Rumsey.