Western enthusiasts cannot think of the true Old West, without taking into account the early survey maps. You can get a really good glimpse of the past from these old documents. They might be pre-statehood, or might even be the original territorial map such as Cochise County, Arizona or the old mining maps of 1860's Nevada.
Many of the old maps show the tracks of railroads, which have long fallen into disuse or vanished altogether. But on that primary map the track are still there and so are the old spurs, stations or the town that is no more.
If these maps exist at all, they are hidden away in some dusty museum drawer never to be seen by the general public. But as a collector of early maps and my grandfather before me, I have strived to make available these rich tapestries of the past. Prior to the border between Canada and the United States the land had a rich history of invasion by the Spanish King, the English Queen and others saw the richness of this continent. All wanted the valuable resources that remained dormant, ready to be harvested from rich earth of the land. Early maps epitomize the priceless lessons of history and introduce us to glimpse of the past both good and bad.
To the new world French Indian wars that left emaciated settlements, after merciless attacks by Mohawk tribes To the pathfinders who battled the relentless natural elements, to drive small caravans of pioneer wagons across the limitless prairies. In the isolated Military forts of lonely soldiers, that which guarded the frontier against Indian attacks. The Black hills of the Dakota
Many of the old maps show the tracks of railroads, which have long fallen into disuse or vanished altogether. But on that primary map the track are still there and so are the old spurs, stations or the town that is no more.
If these maps exist at all, they are hidden away in some dusty museum drawer never to be seen by the general public. But as a collector of early maps and my grandfather before me, I have strived to make available these rich tapestries of the past. Prior to the border between Canada and the United States the land had a rich history of invasion by the Spanish King, the English Queen and others saw the richness of this continent. All wanted the valuable resources that remained dormant, ready to be harvested from rich earth of the land. Early maps epitomize the priceless lessons of history and introduce us to glimpse of the past both good and bad.
To the new world French Indian wars that left emaciated settlements, after merciless attacks by Mohawk tribes To the pathfinders who battled the relentless natural elements, to drive small caravans of pioneer wagons across the limitless prairies. In the isolated Military forts of lonely soldiers, that which guarded the frontier against Indian attacks. The Black hills of the Dakota