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Description

Rare Colorado Gold Regions Map

Rare 1859 "Gold Regions" state of Charles Desilver's map of the region west of the Mississippi River to west of the Rocky Mountains, the first atlas map published in the United States to focus on this region.

First issued in 1855, this map was periodically updated until the end of 1859, when it was replaced by the W.H. Holmes map of Kansas at the end of 1859.

The present example is the only state of the map to include reference to the "Gold Regions" of western Kansas, reflecting the start of the Pike's Peak Gold rush, following the discovery of gold in what would become Colorado Territory in July 1858, launching the second largest Gold Rush in American history.

Desilver's mid-continent map is a remarkably unique work for the time period. The map is rich with early immigrant information, Indian details, forts, roads, Indian Treaty notes, early explorers routes, Indian Battle grounds, Indian Reservations, trading posts and a host of other excellent notes and features. The map actually has its own symbol for trading posts, a rare appearance on a map of the period.

The present 1859 edition of the map is by far the rarest edition, likely only printed for a short portion of 1859, before it was replaced by Holmes' map.