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Stock# 68738
Description

A great early map of California and Nevada, published by the San Francisco newspaper The Morning Call in 1888. The map prominently shows county lines, many of which have changed significantly. The map is heavily detailed, which provides fascinating insights on the changing nature of the mapping of the state. The map contains a census role from 1880 detailing the populations of all counties and many major cities. The map includes a grandiose view of the California Capitol building, and another of two steamships in the high seas.

Great detail abounds throughout the map, exemplifying how the mapping in the two states has changed over time. The area near Gerlach, Nevada, for example, contains numerous toponyms that have now changed. Granite Peak is "P. McKee[nzie?], the salt flats are known as the Valley of the Mud Lakes, and various towns that can be found around there are Rabbit Hole Springs, Antelope Springs, and Cold Spring. Moving to California, the Kingston Mountains have migrated northwards to name the Nopah Range, now they lie in the then-poorly mapped region of northeastern most San Bernardino County.

This changing of toponyms also occurs in more populated areas as well. San Diego has numerous towns along railway lines that no longer exist, for example, Fisher [La Jolla Shores], Selwyn, False Point [La Jolla Point], Soledad [southern Del Mar], Cordera, Stewarts, "Encenito," and many more.

This is a scarce map. We only find references to it in catalogs from the California State Mining Bureau from the early 20th century.

Condition Description
Map in Very Good condition, only issue is a small tear in left-hand side. Cover has some loss around edges. Collation: 257, [9] pages (complete).
Schmidt Label & Litho. Co. Biography

The Schmidt Lithography Company was based in San Francisco. Max Schmidt, a German immigrant, founded his first printing business in 1873, and he was one of the first printers to use lithography on the West Coast. His plant burned twice, in 1884 and 1886, but by the 1890s he ran a factory in San Francisco, as well as branches in Portland and Seattle.

During the 1906 earthquake and fire the company’s premises were destroyed again. Schmidt quickly acquired a nearby paper factory and production continued practically uninterrupted. Within two years of the fire, Schmidt had rebuilt on the site of his former factory at the corner of Second and Bryant Streets.

Schmidt’s company was best known for its printed labels, but they also produced other items like separately-issued prints. The company was once the largest printing company on the West Coast and today they are remembered for the clock tower that still stands at Second and Bryant Streets.