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Description

John Melish Map of Kentucky

Scarce early map of Kentucky, engraved by John Melish, from his Travels in the United States of America, in the years 1806 & 1807, and 1809, 1810 & 1811 ...  

The map shows early towns and villages, rivers, mountains and wagon roads. Several of the roads note the distances between towns including a long, arched road from Louisville to Kaskaskia, Illinois. 

West of the Scioto River, the town of Alexandria is shown. Alexandria was subject to frequent flooding and was largely abandoned by the time of the construction of a dam in the area.  "Taggarts C." is one of many phonetic spellings of Tygarts Creek. The road between Manchester and Chillicothe appears to be largely speculative.

The Cumberland Gap is shown, with the eastern boundary of the stat shown following the west fork of the Big Sandy River instead of the east fork.

Rarity

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

Condition Description
Repaired fold split and minor soiling along one fold. Small area of lower neat line has been reinstated.
John Melish Biography

John Melish (1771-1822) was the most prominent American mapmaker of his generation, even though his cartographic career lasted only a decade. Melish was born in Scotland; he moved to the West Indies in 1798 and then to the United States in 1806. By 1811, he had settled in Philadelphia and published Travels through the United States of America, in the years 1806 & 1807, and 1809, 1810, & 1811, which was richly illustrated with maps.

Melish created several regional maps of the highest quality, as well as the Military & Topographical Atlas of the United States (Philadelphia, 1813, expanded 1815). The latter work is widely considered to be the finest cartographic publication to come out of the War of 1812.

By far his best-known work is his monumental map of the United States of 1816, Map of the United States with the contiguous British and Spanish Possessions. He began working on the map in 1815 and sent it to Thomas Jefferson for comment in 1816. Jefferson enthusiastically reviewed the map and returned it with his edits. Jefferson later hung an example of the map in the Entrance Hall of Monticello and sent it to associates in Europe.

Melish’s finished product was the first map of the United States to extend to the Pacific Ocean. After its publication in 1816, Melish ensured the map was as up-to-date as possible; it was reissued in 25 known states published between 1816 and 1823. The map captured the then rapidly changing geography of the United States, as well as various boundary disputes, treaties, and expansion.