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Ranchos to Railroads -- A Meticulous Mapping of Sonoma County
Rare separately published map of Sonoma County, compiled by its County Clerk R.A. Thompson in 1884 and printed by L.H. Everts in Philadelphia.
This fine large format county map is quite unusual, as it shows named townships within Sonoma County, a feature which is unusual for California Counties, which typically only have traditional unnamed United States Survey township grids. In this instance, both are displayed, with the named townships differentiated by colors. The map reflects the significant growth in the county spurred by the arrival of the San Francisco and North Pacific Railroad in 1870.
The map is a meticulously compilation of public and private information, noting everything from the Spanish Ranchos to the location of recently constructed railroads and railway stations and other infrastructure within the county. Even local school districts are noted.
A number of the early communities which would become synonymous with Sonoma Valley's wine industry are already on the map.
States of The Map and Rarity
The map is known in two states, one with a blank upper right corner and one the official seal of the Board of Supervisors of Sonoma County and attestations from the Chairman of the Board of Supervisors, E.E. Morse and Preston Davis, the Sonoma County Surveyor.
The map is extremely rare.
OCLC locates 2 examples (UC Berkeley and California Historical Society). We note examples at the Library of Congress of both states.
This is the first example we have seen (1992-2024).
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