Antique Maps of Iowa

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Prior to the arrival of Europeans, many Indian tribes inhabited what was to become the state of Iowa, including the Iowa, Sauk, Mesquakie, Sioux, Potawatomi, Otoe and Missouri. The first Europeans to arrive were the explorers Louis Joliet and Father Jacques Marquette, who passed through in 1673. The region was part of French Louisiana and was purchased by the United States with the Louisiana Purchase in 1803. The first official non-Indian settlement began in 1833 with the Black Hawk Purchase of a band of land along the Mississippi River north from Missouri. Settlers moved into the region, expanding westward from the river, for though the conditions were hard, the soil was found to be excellent for farming. In 1838 Iowa became a territory with Burlington as its capital. This was moved to Iowa City in 1841 and five years later Iowa was admitted as the 29th state. In 1857 the capital moved for the final time, to Des Moines. The population of the state continued to grow, especially after the Civil War, when it almost doubled in the decade between 1860 to 1870.

Henry S. Tanner. “Iowa.” From Tanner’s Universal Atlas. Philadelphia: Carey & Hart, 1845. 13 3/8 x 11 1/8. Engraving. Original hand coloring. Some spotting lower right. Otherwise, very good condition.

Part of the original Louisiana Purchase, Iowa was carved into a separate territory in 1838, and then was admitted as the 29th state in 1846. This map was issued two years before statehood. The map was made by the great American cartographer, Henry Schenck Tanner. In 1816, Henry, his brother Benjamin, John Vallance and Francis Kearny formed an engraving firm in Philadelphia. Having had experience at map engraving through his work with John Melish, Tanner conceived of the idea of compiling and publishing an American Atlas, which was begun in 1819 by Tanner, Vallance, Kearny & Co. Soon Tanner took over the project on his own, and thus began his career as cartographic publisher. The American Atlas was a huge success, and this inspired Tanner to produce his Universal Atlas, of more manageable size. This atlas contained excellent maps of each state, with all details clearly presented, including towns, rivers, mountains, political boundaries and the transportation information. The maps were issued by Tanner until 1841, then in 1844 by Carey & Hart. Later the maps were issued by S. Augustus Mitchell, and then Thomas, Cowperthwait & Co. into the second half of the century. This is one of the early issues of Tanner’s map, published just before statehood. The only counties depicted are in the southeastern part of the territory, the northern and western regions indicated as Indian territory. The Pottawattamies, Iowas, and the Sauks and Foxes are named, along with the Sioux to the north, with a band of “Neutral Ground” separating the Sioux from the rest. In the eastern part of the state, towns, roads, and county seats are indicated. A fascinating map of Iowa as a territory. $350

S. Augustus Mitchell after Henry S. Tanner. "Iowa." From A New Universal Atlas. Philadelphia: S. Augustus Mitchell, 1849. 16 x 13 1/4. Lithograph transfer from engraved plate. Original hand color. Very good condition.

This map was updated from the earlier Tanner map by showing new counties, spreading out from the Mississippi River and now lining the Missouri border in the south. Where the earlier maps showed mostly Indian territory in the state, now only the Pottawatomies are still named, though the Sioux are indicated to the north in the just created Minnesota Territory. $350

"A New Map of The State of Iowa." Philadelphia: Thomas, Cowperthwait & Co., 1853. 13 x 16. Lithographic transfer from engraved plate. Full original color. Very good condition.

Another map of Iowa in the Tanner/Mitchell series, tis one by by Thomas, Cowperthwait & Co. This map depicts Iowa within a few years of the map above, but at this stage considerably more developed. Development is shown as more extensive and the entire state is now broken into counties, with no Indian lands being left at all. The Thomas, Cowperthwait & Co. maps were particularly strong in their depiction of the roads and railroads and this map is no exception, providing a very detailed image of Iowa still in its first decade as a state. $250

"Iowa." New York: J.H. Colton &Co., 1855. 12 3/4 x 15 3/4. Lithograph. Full original hand-coloring. Very good condition.

In the mid-nineteenth century, the center of map publishing in America moved from Philadelphia to New York. The J.H. Colton publishing firm played a large role in this shift. This map of Iowa, with its fine detail, is a strong example of their successful work. The map presents the counties in contrasting pastel shades, and includes depictions of towns, rivers, marshes, and some topography. Of particular interest are the indications of the burgeoning transportation network in the state, with roads and railroads clearly shown, especially in the eastern part of the state and along the southern tier of the state, connecting De Moines with Omaha City and Elkhorn City in Nebraska. An attractive map as well as a worthwhile historical document. $150

"Johnson's New Railroad and Township Copper plate Map of Wisconsin, Iowa, Minnesota & Nebraska From The Latest and Best Authorities." New York: A.J. Johnson and Chicago: P. Wyckoff, 1858. 27 x 31. Lithograph transfer from copper plate engraving. Original hand color and elaborate decorative border. Full margins. Some minor staining and chipping at margins. Separated at old folds; expertly joined and conserved. Overall, very good condition and appearance.

A very rare, large scale map of the mid-west, focusing on Wisconsin, Minnesota, and Iowa. The map was published by A.J. Johnson of New York in conjunction with Chicago publisher P. Wyckoff. Johnson is best known for his atlases which began to appear in 1860 (cf. below), but before this he was involved in the publication of separately issued folding and wall maps. In some cases Johnson put his publication imprint on maps from the Colton firm (from whom he acquired the plates which became his Family Atlas in 1860), but he also published some maps with D.G. Johnson and P. Wyckoff, including this wonderful map. The latter is an obscure figure for which only five maps are recorded, including four with Johnson and one with the Colton firm.

This map may have been issued both as a folding map and as a wall map. This particular example is printed on heavy paper typical of a wall map (not the banknote paper of the typical folding map), but it was folded, perhaps for insertion in an atlas. Separately issued maps such as this were made to capture as current information in as much detail as was possible for they were intended to be used by visitors or citizens of the region depicted. This map is an excellent example of this. Because of the size and precision of rendering, every kind of feature is clearly presented, including early roads, settlements of all sizes, Indian reservations, survey lines, political boundaries and so forth. For its excellent information, decorative appearance, and great scarcity, this is a real collector's gem. $950

"Johnson's Iowa and Nebraska." New York: Johnson & Browning, 1861. 12 1/4 x 16 3/4. Lithograph. Original hand color. Very good condition.

A map of Iowa and Nebraska just at the beginning of the Civil War. By this time the entire state of Iowa is criss-crossed with towns, roads and railroads, many leading into the developing state of Nebraska. $165

"County Map of the States of Iowa and Missouri." Philadelphia: S. Augustus Mitchell, Jr., 1861. 14 x 11 1/2. Lithograph. Original hand color. Very good condition.

S. Augustus Mitchell, Jr. took over his father's map publishing business in Philadelphia and continued to issue fine atlases in the early part of the nineteenth century. This map focuses on Iowa with its southern neighbor, in contrast to the competing map above. The scale is slightly smaller and Mitchell does not have quite as much topographical detail, so that the roads and railroads show up a bit more prominently. A nice decorative and historically interesting map. $85

"Johnson's Iowa and Nebraska." New York: Johnson & Ward, 1864. 17 x 22 3/4. Lithograph. Original hand color. Short repaired tear into bottom. Otherwise, very good condition.

Johnson's map of Iowa and Nebraska similar to the one above, but three years later and about double the size. $165

A.J. Johnson. "Johnson's Iowa and Nebraska." New York: Johnson & Ward, 1870. 17 x 22 3/4. Lithograph. Original hand color. Separations along center fold at edges. Otherwise, very good condition.

Though the copyright date is still listed as 1864, this map clearly shows greater settlement and westward movement than the edition published in that year. By 1870, settlement had extended west along the Missouri border to towns like Council Bluffs and Omaha. In the northwestern counties, around Iowa's lake region, are still sparsely populated. $150

"Asher & Adams' Iowa." Washington: Asher & Adams, 1874. 15 3/4 x 22 1/2. Lithograph. Original hand color. Some chipping and tears in margins. Otherwise, very good condition.

The maps by Asher & Adams are more unusual than the bigger Philadelphia and New York publishers, but they have very good detail, attractively presented. This map is typical of the firm's output and it has particularly good information of the surrounding sections of the neighboring states. $120

"County & Township Map of the States of Iowa and Missouri." Philadelphia: S. Augustus Mitchell, Jr., 1874. 21 1/2 x 14 1/2. Lithograph. Original hand color. Very good condition.

A larger version of the Mitchell map of these two states. By the 1870s, these states had grown tremendously in terms of population and internal development and this map well represents that growth. The larger scale allows for more detail of rivers, towns, roads, and railroads. $120

Frank A. Gray. "Gray's New Map of Iowa." Philadelphia: O.W. Gray & Son, 1876. 11 3/4 x 16. Lithograph. Original hand color. Very good condition.

A slightly later and slightly smaller map of Iowa by itself from the Gray firm of Philadelphia. $125

"Iowa." Edinburgh: J. Bartholomew, 1884. 11 x 16. Lithograph with printed color. Very good condition.

An unusual British state map. Good detail and up-to-date. $50

"Iowa." Chicago: Geographical Publishing Co., 1921. 14 3/4 x 21. Chromolithograph. Very good condition.

An early twentieth century map that has its own decorative appeal. $45

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