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Description

William Barker engraving of Elihu Barker's map of Kentucky, first published by Matthew Carey in 1795.

An excellent example of Matthew Carey's map of Kentucky, based upon the earlier surveys of Elihu Barker, published in Carey's American Atlas and Carey's American Edition of Guthrie's Geography in 1795.

Carey's American Atlas was the first atlas published in the United States, compiling a number of excellent maps from indigenous sources in the first compilation of American maps. The map extends into Northwest Territory, and tracks much of the Wabash River to Prairie Meadow and St. Vincents. The map shows counties, towns, roads, Indian paths and villages, rivers, mountains, creeks, springs, forts and other early details.

The map is based upon an original manuscript map drawn by Barker, which was advertised for sale by Oliver Barker in 1793 and 1794 and issued in reduced form in Imlay's Topographical Description… and by Carey in the present form. Kentucky obtained statehood in 1792, with Barker's map being the first large format map of the state. While there is no record of a survey upon which the map is based, Willard Jillson believed that Barker's map was by far the most accurate of early Kentucky maps, stating that Barker made use of the available published sources and took the written and verbal statements of others in compiling the map.

Condition Description
Minor foxing
Reference
Jillson, Early Kentucky Maps, p. 36; Ristow, p.135.