Colton “The United States of America" 1866

J.H. Colton & Co.  “The United States of America.” 

New York: G.W. and C.B. Colton & Co., [1856]-1866.  15 1/2 x 26.  Lithograph.  Original hand color.  Decorative strap work border.  Crease next to centerfold and some light spotting.  Overall, very good condition.  

An excellent, detailed map of the United States showing the nation’s political configuration in 1866.  Just two years before this map was issued, Montana Territory was created out of Idaho Territory, and that is the configuration shown here, with just to the south the territory that would later become Wyoming shown as part of the Dakota Territory.  This map was issued just at the beginning of the dramatic post-Civil War development of the American west and it presents detail of this region that is fascinating.  Rivers and lakes and some topography are shown, but it is the forts, mines, and towns which are of particular interest.  Also shown are the roads and trails that had been and continued to be traveled by those settling or crossing the American west.  For instance, the Santa Fe Trail, the Oregon Trail, and the Pony Express routes are all clearly documented, as are some of the early explorer’s routes.  A fine snap shot image of the United States just after the Civil War from one of the top American map publishing firms of the mid-nineteenth century.