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Description

The best 19th-century mapping of Jackson Hole and the surrounding area, including an important geological map of Yellowstone.

Ferdinand Vandeveer Hayden's Maps and Panoramas portfolio for the 1878 Report includes some of the best representations of western Wyoming, specifically around the Jackson Hole area, that appeared in any 19th-century work.

In 1871, Hayden led America's first federally funded geological survey into the Yellowstone region of northwestern Wyoming, given directions by President Ulysses S. Grant's Secretary of Interior Columbus Delano. The survey consisted of some 50 men which included notables such as Thomas Moran, painter and famous frontier/Civil War photographer William Henry Jackson. The following year, Hayden and his work, Preliminary Report of the United States Geological Survey of Montana and Portions of Adjacent Territories; Being a Fifth Annual Report of Progress was instrumental in convincing Congress to establish Yellowstone as the first U.S. National Park, aided by Jackson's stunning large-format photographs and Moran's dramatic paintings. These publications also encouraged the westward expansion of the United States.

While the pastedown table of contents only calls for 7 maps, it seems that all of these atlases were issued with 10 maps, including three uncolored maps of areas covered in earlier colored maps.

The atlas includes the following maps:

  1. Economic Map of Portions of Wyoming, Idaho and Utah. April 1879 (Shows Jackson Hole)
  2. Geological Map of Portions of Wyoming, Idaho and Utah. Geology by A.C. Peale, Orestes St. John and F.M. Endlich. (Shows Jackson Hole)
  3. Part of Central Wyoming
  4. Parts of Western Wyoming and Southeastern Idaho. (Focus on Jackson Hole)
  5. Parts of Western Wyoming, Southeastern Idaho and Northeastern Utah.
  6. Preliminary Geological Map of the Yellowstone National Park
  7. Panoramic Views | Glacial Lake and Moraines | The Glaciers of Fremont's Peak | The Teton Range from Upper Grosventre Butte (Jackson Hole)
  8. Part of Central Wyoming (Black and white)
  9. Parts of Western Wyoming, and Southeastern Idaho (Shows Jackson Hole. Black and white)
  10. Parts of Western Wyoming, Southeastern Idaho and Northeastern Utah. (Black and white)
Condition Description
Octavo. Original gilt-lettered cloth portfolio (some staining). 10 folding maps. All maps folding with original ink-stamped numbers on verso.
Ferdinand Vandeveer Hayden Biography

Ferdinand Vandeveer Hayden, known to the Sioux as "man-who-picks-up-stones-running," stands among the pantheon of eminent geologists of the 19th century.

Hayden's academic career commenced at Oberlin College, and he furthered his education at Albany Medical College, where he received his M.D. in 1853. Despite his medical training, Hayden was primarily engaged in geology, a field to which he would dedicate his life's work.

Hayden commenced his geological career with a survey in the Nebraska Territory in 1856. In 1859 and 1860, he conducted further exploratory work in the Rocky Mountains, particularly in Colorado, which was then part of the Nebraska and Kansas territories. His early work in the field earned him the respect of Native American tribes, with the Sioux reportedly dubbing him "man-who-picks-up-stones-running" due to his avid and energetic collection of geological samples during his expeditions.

By the 1860s, Hayden had risen to prominence as a geologist and was appointed the United States Geologist for the Geological Survey of the Territories. This role would define his career, leading numerous surveys in the Western United States. Notably, from 1871 to 1872, Hayden led a survey into the region that would become Yellowstone National Park, and his reports significantly contributed to the establishment of Yellowstone as the first National Park in 1872.

Hayden's most significant contribution to geological literature was the Geological Atlas of Colorado, published in 1877. This work was the result of comprehensive surveys conducted across Colorado, meticulously documenting the state's geography and geology. The atlas offered detailed maps on a scale previously unseen, encompassing not only Colorado but adjacent areas, including parts of Utah, Arizona, and New Mexico.

Hayden's influence extended to academia, as he was affiliated with the University of Pennsylvania for a period, where he held the position of professor of geology. His academic and field work combined to form a substantial body of knowledge that would be used by future scholars and explorers.

Ferdinand V. Hayden passed away on December 22, 1887, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. His enduring legacy is reflected in the numerous natural features named after him, including Hayden Valley in Yellowstone and Mount Hayden in Colorado. His contributions to geology during the 19th century remain a cornerstone of American geological and geographical sciences.