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Description

Mid-19th Century Rarity

Rare separately published map of the United States, joined with a view of Washington and Military Map of Maryland and Virginia and a view of Washington City, all published by Charles Magnus.

The second map and view on a single sheet are pasted down on the left side of the map folder, so that it folds open across the larger US map.

The map of the United States shows the state of the western territories in a short window of time between the Gadsden Purchase and formation of Nebraska Territory and Kansas Territory, that latter not yet present on the map, which names Missouri or North West Territory.  The Gadsden purchase is sufficiently recent that the actual line of the purchase is not shown, only the coloring reflects the modern boundary, with a dashed line near Las Cruces reflecting the prior Guadalupe-Hidalgo boundary of 1848.

The map illustrates the Oregon Route extends west to Ft. Walla Wall and on to Oregon City,  with Fremont's several routes across the Transmississippi West and exploring the Great Basin and contiguous regions shown, the most important series of Western explorations following Lewis & Clark.  The colorist has curiously mis-colored the part of Texas west of the Pecos differently than the portion to the east.

The Gold Regions are noted in California, A fine account of the California Missions is given.

The small Military Map probably dates to 1861 or 1862 and was added later by an early owner.

Rumsey notes:

[A] 1st edition was [published in] 1850; this issue is updated to show Washington Territory, but not Kansas and Nebraska. Wheat mentions the curious and inaccurate indentations on the California coastline. Wheat also states that the 1850 edition shows no towns in the Sierra Nevada - in this issue there are several towns shown. . . .

Dating The Map

The map curiously still shows Missouri or North West Territory, which included what would soon become Nebraska Territory and Kansas Territory on May 30, 1854.

The map shows Washington Territory (formed on March 2, 1853) and the border with Mexico after signing of the Gadsden Purchase Treaty (signed December 30, 1853).

As such, it would appear the map was issued early in 1854, before  Nebraska Territory and Kansas Territory became Territories in May 1854.

Rarity

The map is rare on the market.  This is the first example we have offered for sale.

Condition Description
Folding map in original covers, with an extra map and view laid in. minor fold discoloration. Early ink ownership (A. H. Pratt) on reverse
Reference
Mapping the Trans-Mississippi West, #679 (1850),