1851 Map of the State of California, The Territories of Oregon & Utah, and the chief part of New Mexico
By: Thomas Cowperthwait & Co.
Date: 1851 (published) Philadelphia
Dimensions: 15.5 x 12.75 inches (39.5 x 32.5 cm)
Mitchell's iconic map of California and the Western Territories is a staple of any Western Americana map collection and this example is of the highest quality.
Presenting the western states in one of their earliest territorial form, this map is an updated version of Mitchell's seminal map that appeared in Universal Atlas in 1849. In 1850, the rights to Mitchell's atlas were sold to the firm Thomas Cowperthwait & Co., which reissued the atlas with these updates. The main difference between the Mitchell and the Cowperthwait issue is the region that once appeared on maps as "Upper California," had since been divide by Congress (in 1850) to form the state of California and the Territories of Utah and New Mexico. All of these changes came as a result of the Treaty of Guadaloupe Hidalgo that ended the Mexican-American War in 1848.
Besides the new political information that appeared on this map, what had appeared on the 1849 map as the "Great Interior Basin," is now somewhat filled in based on Fremont's map, renamed "Fremont Basin." Other topographical features included considerable orography, rivers, and lake. The Great Salt Lake is show next to "Salt Lake City, Mormon Set," which had just been established in 1847.
Early settlements and a coastal road are depicted in California, and the old Spanish Trail between Santa Fe, and Los Angeles is also delineated. Of further interest is the prominent depiction of the Oregon Trail, shown snaking from present-day Wyoming to the Columbia River and along its banks to Fort Vancouver, Oregon City, and Portland. The entire region north of 42nd parallel and west of the continental divide formed by the Rocky Mountains appears as the Oregon Territory. This large territory would be short-lived as the Washington Territory would claim most of the region in 1853.
Thomas Cowperthwait would continue to revise this map, as for the next few decades, these large territories would be continually divided into smaller territories with large counties and the into states with more, smaller counties. The railroad would soon link both coasts, bringing a massive influx of emigrant settlers with town springing up almost overnight throughout this vast region. Maps produced one year would be outdated the next with a continual need for revisions. This map however, is one of the earliest examples in a long line of maps that detail the growth and development of the American West.
Condition: This map is in A condition with bold colors, no tears or holes and ample margins on all sides. Slight paper toning is only apparent in the outer margins.
Inventory #12357
1200 W. 35th Street #425 Chicago, IL 60609 | P: (312) 496 - 3622