Samuel Augustus Mitchell Historical Memorabilia

This is a finely colored example of the 1846 version of Mitchell's seminal map of Texas, Oregon Territory, California, and the Transmississippi West. Published in 1846 from Philadelphia, Mitchell's map of the West was one of the first large-format commercially published maps to show the Transmissisippi West, after the annexation of Texas in 1845. The map was perhaps the single most popular map of the period, used by gold seekers, immigrants, and others whose lives, fortunes, and attentions were focused Westward at the outset of the Mexican-American War. Beginning in 1846, the Transmississippi West was of particular interest to the American populace, as a result of two recent and related events. In 1845, Texas was admitted to the Union. This prompted Mexico to invade Texas in 1846, thus starting the U.S.-Mexican War. General curiosity about the new state as well as interest in the war led to Mitchell's timely map becoming quite popular. As stated in the "Accompaniment to Mitchell's new map of Texas, Oregon and California...," in which the map was sometimes issued, Mitchell used the latest and best cartographic sources for the map, including Arrowsmith's 1841 map of Texas, Fremont's and Emory's maps of their explorations in the region, compiled data from the Lewis & Clark expedition, Nicollet's map of the region between the Mississippi and the Missouri, and Wilkes map of Oregon...

Presented is an early pocket map of Ohio, circa 1839. This map was produced by Samuel Augustus Mitchell as a reprint from the original of 1831; Mitchell's first pocket map of Ohio. This edition features various improvements to the first issue. The map is colored by counties and shows, roads, railroads, towns, and distances. Many other proposed railroads and canals are also shown. The map features some historical details, including the Harris Line surveyed in 1817 and Fulton's Line surveyed in 1814. In this edition, Toledo is present, which was founded in 1833 as part of Michigan and then re-founded in 1837 as part of Ohio following the conclusion of the "Toledo War." The map shows the northwest boundaries, claimed respectively by Michigan and Ohio. Labeled at bottom is both a "Profile of the Miami Canal" and a "Profile of the Ohio and Erie Canal...