|
||
|
|
|
|
An uncommon map of the American West, issued to accompany Albert D. Richardson’s bestselling travel narrative Beyond the Mississippi (Hartford: American Publishing Co., 1867).
The map reflects a rapidly changing territorial and transportation landscape during the immediate post–Civil War years. Covering the western two-thirds of the United States, it stretches from eastern Illinois and Louisiana to the Pacific coast, extending north to British Columbia and south into Mexico. Particular attention is given to newly established state and territorial boundaries, railroads (both completed and in progress), and regions of exploration and settlement.
Notable geographic and cultural references include “Moqui Villages” (Hopi), “Ancient Ruins,” the “Pah Ranagat Mining Dist.,” and a number of military posts, all reflecting the contemporary interests of Eastern readers in the frontier. Railroad lines are marked with solid and dashed lines, indicating completed and projected segments, with named lines such as the Union Pacific and Central Pacific already under construction.
Richardson’s Beyond the Mississippi was one of the most popular Western travel books of the era, offering vivid journalistic descriptions of postbellum expansion, Native American cultures, and the natural wonders of the West.
