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Description

A great Ohio Rarity -- the Thomas W. Streeter copy of the first printed map of Toledo, with interesting annotations likely made by a prominent early citizen.

An important early map of Toledo, published during the so-Called Toledo War.

Background

American settlement in the Maumee River area of Ohio began in the early 19th century but was set back by raids by the British and their Indian allies, during the War of 1812. Perhaps the earliest such settlement was Port Miami, established in 1805 just below the falls of the Maumee, as a port of entry for the newly-created District of Miami, but abandoned in 1812. In 1816 Perrysburg was laid out across the river from the ruins of Port Miami and just downstream from Fort Meigs, which had been the scene of much fighting during the war. In the following year Maumee was laid out on the west bank.

In the early 1830s a group of Cincinnati investors began to develop Port Lawrence at the mouth of Swan Creek some twelve miles downstream from Maumee and Perrysburg. Another group, from Lockport, New York, began to develop an adjacent parcel by the name of Vistula. The two merged in 1833 to form Toledo, with the goal of competing against other Maumee River towns to become the northern terminus of the Miami and Erie Canal then being constructed between the Ohio River and Lake Erie. Though the town of Manhattan a mile downriver from Toledo was ultimately selected, the latter received a sidecut along Swan Creek, whose greater water depth rendered it the de facto canal terminus. With the canal's completion in 1843 Toledo began a decades-long economic boom, while little Manhattan withered and was ultimately annexed.

The Map

Likely published in late 1834 or 1835, the map depicts Toledo as essentially the sum of its parts: the plats of the former towns of Port Lawrence (at left) and Vistula (at right) are shown awkwardly joined at Orange Street, an arrangement clearly visible on a modern map of the city. The new town is shown divided into blocks and lots, with the streets named as usual after presidents, trees and geographical features.

The map is heavily annotated by an early owner, with an alphabetical key identifying three hotels, taverns, and the building housing both the Post Office and the Toledo Gazette. Many lots and in some cases entire blocks are inked in, perhaps to indicate that they are the property of the map's owner. At the outlet of Swan Creek is indicated the site of Fort Industry, a temporary fortification constructed by the U.S. Army around 1805, as well as "high ground" and "low ground" on the far bank.

Also of interest is an inset of "Map of the Maumee River from its mouth to Perrysburgh showing the navigable channel from actual soundings in the Month of August 1834." On this the owner has inked in "New Buffalo" at the mouth of the Maumee, linked to Swan Creek by a dashed line, while further upstream he has added "Fort Miami," "Port Miami," "Ewing Island," "Maumee" and "Site of Fort Meigs".

The front pastedown of the folder bears the inscription "H. G. Hubbard from Andrew Palmer Esq. Toledo, M. T., 1835. Sept. 7th." Palmer (1808-?) was a prominent early citizen of Toledo. A native of Binghamton, New York, he made some money in the newspaper business before shifting west to the Port Lawrence settlement in 1833, which at the time held perhaps 20 families. Liking the area's prospects, he purchased 1/16 of the Port Lawrence Company's lands, then gained a position as the Company's on-site agent. Over the next decade he built up a prosperous real estate and warehousing business, founded the Toledo Gazette, and made an unsuccessful run for mayor before moving on to Wisconsin in 1845.

H.G. Hubbard would go on to be a founding member of the Detroit Agricultural and Horticultural Society. His brother, Bela Hubbard, was one of the earliest geologists working Michigan and conducted a number of important early surveys between 1837 and 1841 and later between 1845 and 1846, before turning to more commercial ventures, including real estate and logging.

The inscription presents us with an interesting puzzle. Its date of 1835 coincides with the so-called "Toledo War," a dispute between Michigan Territory and the State of Ohio over a 468-square-mile strip of land along their shared border. Though militias were mobilized and shots fired, the sole casualty was Deputy Sheriff Joseph Wood of Monroe County, Michigan, who was wounded by a pen knife in a scuffle with Ohio militia major Benjamin Stickney and his sons. Michigan eventually relented under pressure from President Jackson and the financial burden imposed by its militia mobilization, though it received much of the Upper Peninsula in return. This looked like a terrible deal for Michigan, until staggering quantities of copper and iron were discovered there, catalyzing a mining boom that lasted into the 20th century.

Andrew Palmer was an ardent supporter of Ohio's claim to the Toledo Strip during the "War" of 1835-36. H.G. Hubbard, on the other hand, was among the Michigan militia sent to Toledo to enforce Michigan's claim to sovereignty. Indeed, the inscription's date of Sept. 7, 1835, coincides exactly with Hubbard's presence in Toledo. It is a mystery why Ohioan Palmer would have presented this map to Michigander Hubbard, on the very date on which one would have expected their mutual hostility to have reached a new peak. It is also a mystery why Ohio patriot Palmer would have inscribed the map "Toledo, M[ichigan] T[erritory]"!

This is the Thomas Streeter copy, with Streeter's small oval bookplate on the rear pastedown of the folder. The map was heavily annotated in ink at an early date, as described by Streeter himself,

An inset… carries manuscript notes indicating sites of the towns of Maumee, Port Miami, and New Buffalo, with Ft. Meigs and Ft. Miami. A manuscript key to the city map indicates Toledo House, Steam Boat Hotel, Mansion House, three taverns, the Post Office and the office of the Toledo Gazette. An inscription inside the front cover reading "H. G. Hubbard from Andrew Palmer Esq. Toledo, M. T., 1835 . . ." shows that the donor of the map favored Michigan's claims in the boundary dispute.

The Toledo War / Michigan Territory versus Ohio

The "boundary dispute" in question was the so-called "Toledo War," a dispute between Michigan and Ohio over a 468-square-mile strip of land along their shared border. Though militias were mobilized and shots fired, the sole casualty was Deputy Sheriff Joseph Wood of Monroe County, Michigan, who was wounded by a pen knife in a scuffle with Ohio militia major Benjamin Stickney and his sons. In 1836, Michigan relented due to the financial pressure imposed by its militia mobilization, though it received much of the Upper Peninsula in return. This looked like a terrible deal for Michigan, until staggering quantities of copper and iron were discovered there, catalyzing a mining boom that lasted into the 20th century.

Rarity:

OCLC locates two copies Cornell and Western University. Heckrotte notes additional locations at the Ohio Historical Society and Toledo Public Library. Not in Phillips or Rumsey.

Provenance: Goodspeeds 1948-Streeter III:1373-Warren Heckrotte-PBA Galleries sale 586 lot 245 (May 19, 2016).

OCLC/WorldCat locates only two copies, at Cornell University and Western University. Warren Heckrotte notes copies at the Ohio Historical Society and the Toledo Public Library.

Condition Description
Folding map, now flattened. With original covers. Removed from original gilt-lettered morocco pocket folder (though folder still present), flattened, and lined, with minor losses along old folds. Small oval bookplate of Thomas Streeter on rear pastedown of folder.