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Description

Mammoth geological map of the mineral regions of Michigan, south of Lake Superior, based upon the work of Jonathan Booth and E.J. Hulbert.

The map describes itself as:

Showing accurately the relative position of the copper & iron mines, the selections made by the Sault St. Marie Canal Co.; the swamp or state lands & individual possessions. Topography reduced from the plats of the U.S. surveys; geological notes from observations of Foster & Whitney, S.W. Hill, W.H. Stevens, N. D'Aligny, Ed. J. Hulbert.

The color coding shows conglomerate, Trappean Rocks, Crystalline Trap, Potsdam Sandstone, Granite and Cyrstalline Schists.  The map notes the lands by ownership interests, including:

  • S - Swamp and State Lands
  • C -Sections owned by Canal Companies
  • P - Private lands

Edwin J. Hulbert & The Hecla Company

In 1864, Edwin J. Hulbert discovered a copper-bearing section of what became known as the Calumet Conglomerate of Precambrian age. The find was in Houghton County, Michigan, between the rich Cliff mine to the northeast, and the copper mines of Portage Lake to the southwest, but a long way from either. Hulbert formed the Hulbert Mining Company in 1864 to acquire the land rights, before creating the Calumet Company in 1865, with Boston investors.  The company spun off the Hecla Company the following year, and assigned shares in the new company to Calumet shareholders.

Hulbert was a major shareholder in both companies, and was in charge of mine operations. But despite the rich ore, Hulbert did not have the practical knowledge to dig out the ore, crush it, and concentrate it. Frustrated with Hulbert's lack of success, the company sent Alexander Agassiz, son of famous geologist Louis Agassiz, to Michigan to run the mine.

Under Agassiz' expert management, the Hecla company paid its first dividend in 1868, and the Calumet company began paying dividends in 1869. The two companies merged in May 1871 to form the Calumet and Hecla Mining Company, with Quincy Adams Shaw as its first president. In August of that year, Shaw retired to the board of directors and Agassiz became president, a position he held until his death. 

States of the Map and Rarity

The map notes that it is a second edition.  The first edition is dated 1855.

The map is very rare on the market.

RBH notes 2 copies of the 1855 edition: Decker (1961) and Goodspeed (1940) and no examples of the 1864 edition.    We also note examples of the 1855 offered by High Ridge (1987) and Swann (2007).

We were unable to find any other examples of the 1864 map to appear on the market.

Provenance: Librarie Le Bail, 2023.

Condition Description
Segmented and laid on linen, with green covers. Some splits and dampstaining.
Reference
Karpinski No. 800