1853 / 1861 Map of Passes in the Sierra Nevada from Walker's Pass to the Coast Range
By: Lieut. R.S. Williamson
Date: 1853 / 1861 (pub.) Washington D.C.
Dimensions: 30.5 x 20.5 inches (77.5 x 52 cm)
This is an important map of the lower Sierra Nevada showing a variety of mountain passes intended to connect transcontinental railroads to destinations within California. The map was through the efforts of several topographical and civil engineers surveying under the direction of the Secretary of War, Jefferson Davis.
The map centers around Fort Tejon, labeled here as a depot camp and extends north to the portion of the Kern River that flows through present-day Bakersfield. Elevations are noted throughout and the physical topography is presented with remarkable precision as hachures illustrate the peaks and valleys of the southern Sierra Nevada Mountains.
Numerous trails and passes cross through the map, some labeled with indigenous names such as Tah-ee-chay-pah Pass, Chey-o-poo-ya-pah, and Hum-pah-ya-mup Pass, while others pay tribute to the American explorers that charted their route such as John C. Fremont (1844) and Joseph Redford Walker (1834) who first charted the region as a member of the Bonneville Expedition.
Condition: This map is in A condition, linen backed fore preservation and presentation purposes with any fold separations expertly mended. The map is quite clean, for a folding survey map and provides ample margins on all sides for framing.
Inventory #12239
1200 W. 35th Street #425 Chicago, IL 60609 | P: (312) 496 - 3622