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Description

Fine example of the first edition of Finley's map of Arkansas and Missouri, being one of the earliest separately issued regional maps to show Arkansas in its double wide configuration (including most of Oklahoma).

A number of counties in the western part of Missouri are not yet shown. The western part of Arkansas Territory names the early Indian Nations of the Choctaws, Creek, Cherokees, Osages, and a number of other tribes further to the north.

The Military Bounty Lands in Chariton County Missouri are shown. Little Rock appears and a number of early roads are noted.

Many Indian Settlements and Missionary settlements are noted. A statistical table includes county data on the populations (Black, White and combined) of the counties, with a separate line item for Foreigners not nationalized and persons engaged in Agriculture, Manufacturing and Commerce.

A nice example of this scarce map.

Anthony Finley Biography

Anthony Finley (1784-1836) was an American map publisher. Little is known about his life. He is presumed to have been born in Philadelphia, where he also died. A publisher, Finley was also involved in several Philadelphia civic and professional societies such as the Philadelphia Apprentices’ Library. He may have been in business as early as 1809 and his first publication dates from ca. 1811.

His first maps also date from this year, with two maps in Daniel Edward Clarke’s Travels in Various Countries of Europe, Asia, and Africa. The first atlas published by Finley appeared in 1818, the Atlas classica, or, Select maps of ancient geography, both sacred and profane, for the use of colleges and schools in the United States. He is best known for his A New General Atlas Comprising a Complete Set of Maps (1824), which was a bestseller. There were two editions in 1824, with annual editions until 1834.

Finley was part of the first generation of American publishers who produced high quality, precise maps on American soil. He was in competition with other Philadelphia publishers, for example Henry S. Tanner. Finley’s A New American Atlas Designed Principally to Illustrate the Geography of the United States of America (1826) closely mirrors Tanner’s A New American Atlas Containing Maps of the Several States of the North American Union, with similar groupings of maps; the main difference is the smaller scale of Finley’s maps. Finley printed two editions of this atlas.