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Rare and highly important map of of the "Territory and Military Department of Utah, prepared "chiefly for military purposes," by the United States Bureau of Topographical Engineers in 1860,

The map is one of the rarest government published maps of the Southwestern United States and is generally regarded as the best map of Utah Territory published prior to the Civil War.

The list of Authorities identifies 15 maps created by various explorers of the region, most of which were published between 1848 and 1861 (typo?), along with the Journal of Father Escalante from Santa Fe to Salt Lake (or Timpanagos) and the Moqui Villages in 1776. The list includes Fremont, Stansbury, Gunnison, Beckwith, Wiliamson, Parke, Landers, Bishop, Simpson, Macomb, Dixon, Abott, Juday, and Berthold, a complete and comprehensive list of the most important explorations in the region over the prior 12 years.

A note to the left of the title provides additional detailed on the new information added to the map, noting that "Corrections and additions, in reference to Rail Roads in California &c. were made in January 1862 -- in accordance with a Resolution of the U.S. Senate on 18th Decr. 1861."

The map is without question the most comprehensive and detailed map of the region prior to 1860. Wheat (who was never able to acquire a copy of the map for his collection), described the map as follows:

In 1860 the Bureau of Topographical Engineers prepared an exceedingly comprehensive map entitled merely "Territory and Military Department of Utah." This map covers not only Utah, but parts of New Mexico, Colorado (first map to carry that name), Nebraska, Washington Territory (now part of Southern Idaho), Oregon, Nevada and California. It is a beautiful map and was more than up-to-date when produced for Nevada and Colorado territories were created in 1861. . . .

This is a remarkable map. Not only are th routes of all these "authorities" depicted, but the human developments, such as railroads--where present--and towns are given representation. The army was keeping its supremacy in things topographical.

The map is of the utmost rarity. Wheat was unable to find a copy for his collection (which instead included a reduced sized photostat of the map) and was apparently unaware of the 1862 updated edition of hte map. We have not been able to locate another example of the map being offered for sale or at auction. The map was reproduced in 1892. OCLC lists only the copies of the first edition at the Newberry Library and Colorado Historical Society and no copies of the 1862 edition (although we located a copy at the Huntington Library).