Sign In

Password

- Or use -

Forgot Password Create Account

Checkout

Stock# 113354

Download Small Image

Map Maker

Ferdinand Vandeveer Hayden

Title

General Geological Map of Colorado

Publication Place / Date

Washington / 1877

Image Dimensions

35 x 25.5 inches

Color

Condition

VG+

Stock# 113354

$395.00

Add to Cart

Sell Us a Map

Add to Wishlist

Email a Friend

Buy Hi-Res Download

Map Maker

Authenticity Guarantee

Map Maker

Fast, Global Shipping

Description

Chromolithographed map showing the geology of the state of Colorado as compiled during the Hayden Survey. Key at upper right distinguishes nine color-coded geological periods: Quaternary, Tertiary, Post-Cretaceous, Cretaceous, Jura-Trias, Carboniferous, Silurian, Metamorphic Rocks, and Eruptive Rocks.

One of the earliest comprehensive geological maps of Colorado, this large-format chromolithograph was produced under the direction of Ferdinand Vandeveer Hayden, head of the U.S. Geological and Geographical Survey of the Territories. Based on fieldwork conducted by government survey teams during the 1870s, the map synthesizes the lithological composition of the region at a time when Colorado was undergoing rapid transformation following the 1876 achievement of statehood.

The Hayden Survey was key in formalizing American geoscience and western cartography. This map, Sheet VII of the Hayden Atlas of Colorado, captures the complexity of Colorado’s mountainous and mineral-rich interior, which is rendered here in vivid tones indicating Precambrian metamorphic zones, volcanic intrusions, and sedimentary basins. The San Juan Mountains, South Park Basin, Front Range, and San Luis Valley are especially prominent, as are mining areas such as Leadville, Central City, and the Uncompahgre region.

A note below the key states that coal, silver, and gold-bearing areas appear on the separately issued Economic Map (Sheet III), and that the geology east of longitude 104° had not yet been studied in detail.

Clarence King and other early geologists of the post–Civil War period contributed to the maps included in this series, which directly informed the later U.S. Geological Survey, founded in 1879.

States

A second state of this map was published for the 1881 edition, with a longer Colorado Central Railroad and towns along it, including Berthoud and Loveland, a segment of the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe, and a proposed extension of the Denver & Rio Grande.

Ferdinand Vandeveer Hayden Biography

Ferdinand Vandeveer Hayden, known to the Sioux as "man-who-picks-up-stones-running," stands among the pantheon of eminent geologists of the 19th century.

Hayden's academic career commenced at Oberlin College, and he furthered his education at Albany Medical College, where he received his M.D. in 1853. Despite his medical training, Hayden was primarily engaged in geology, a field to which he would dedicate his life's work.

Hayden commenced his geological career with a survey in the Nebraska Territory in 1856. In 1859 and 1860, he conducted further exploratory work in the Rocky Mountains, particularly in Colorado, which was then part of the Nebraska and Kansas territories. His early work in the field earned him the respect of Native American tribes, with the Sioux reportedly dubbing him "man-who-picks-up-stones-running" due to his avid and energetic collection of geological samples during his expeditions.

By the 1860s, Hayden had risen to prominence as a geologist and was appointed the United States Geologist for the Geological Survey of the Territories. This role would define his career, leading numerous surveys in the Western United States. Notably, from 1871 to 1872, Hayden led a survey into the region that would become Yellowstone National Park, and his reports significantly contributed to the establishment of Yellowstone as the first National Park in 1872.

Hayden's most significant contribution to geological literature was the Geological Atlas of Colorado, published in 1877. This work was the result of comprehensive surveys conducted across Colorado, meticulously documenting the state's geography and geology. The atlas offered detailed maps on a scale previously unseen, encompassing not only Colorado but adjacent areas, including parts of Utah, Arizona, and New Mexico.

Hayden's influence extended to academia, as he was affiliated with the University of Pennsylvania for a period, where he held the position of professor of geology. His academic and field work combined to form a substantial body of knowledge that would be used by future scholars and explorers.

Ferdinand V. Hayden passed away on December 22, 1887, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. His enduring legacy is reflected in the numerous natural features named after him, including Hayden Valley in Yellowstone and Mount Hayden in Colorado. His contributions to geology during the 19th century remain a cornerstone of American geological and geographical sciences.