The
Maps
This
page provides a brief description of the maps featured in the What's Cool
About Maps exhibit, grouped by theme. Click on a theme title to read
more about that area of the exhibit and see a photograph of one or more of the maps.
1.
Amerique Septentrionale, 1669
This
map was the most up-to-date printed delineation available to explorers
like Joliet, Marquette and La Salle. It is a revision of a 1650 map by
Nicholas Sanson d’Abbeville, the first to show all five Great Lakes. [G.
Sanson, Paris, 2nd edition revised and corrected.]
2.
La Louisiana, Parte Settentrionalle, 1695
Mapmaker
Coronelli paid particular attention to the accounts of Hennepin and Jesuit
explorers Marquette and Joliet, whose explorations are noted along the
Mississippi River. Coronelli’s Great Lakes delineation is considered the
most accurate rendering prior to the 18th century. Bellin’s later
fictitious islands in Lake Superior do not appear here. [An early
hand-colored outline map of the Great Lakes by Marco Vincenzo Coronelli,
Venice, Italy.]
3.
Carte du De' troit entre le Lac Superieur et le Lac Huron avec le Sault
Sainte Marie et le Poste de Michilllimakinac, 1774
The
first separate map of the hub of the Great Lakes fur trade, it shows the
area from Bois Blanc Island to Batchawana Bay, including the various
missions and forts from Lake Huron to Lake Superior. [N. Bellin, Ingenieur
de la Marine, Paris.]
4.
A Map of the Five Great Lakes with part of Pensilvania, New York, Canada and
Hudsons Bay Territories &c., 1755
The
map shows part of Pennsylvania, New York, Canada and Hudson Bay
Territories and details of the Indian Nations during the time period of
the French and English War. The boundary line of the Six Nations runs up
the Illinois River, through Lake Michigan and then north of Lake Huron.
Fort St. Francis Xavier already appears at the tip of Green Bay.
[Published in London Magazine.]
5.
Partie de L’Amérique Septent qui comprend la Nouvelle France ou le
Canada, 1755
This
is one of the key maps of eastern and western Canada from the French and
Indian War period. The St. Lawrence Valley (eastern Canada) is shown at
the top and the Great Lakes (western Canada) appear in the large inset
below. Under the 18th century French regime, Detroit was the capital of
the Great Lakes region, known as Pays d’en Haut. [Robert de Vaugondy,
Paris.]
6.
A Plan of the Straits of St. Mary and Michilimakinac to Show the Situation
& Importance of the two Westernmost Settlements of Canada for the Fur
Trade, c 1761
This
is the first separate British map of this strategic outpost at the
northern hub of the Great Lakes. From here Joliet launched his successful
expedition to the Mississippi River in 1673. Here Robert Rogers took
command nearly a century later as England attempted to gain control of the
western fur trade. This map was published at the time France ceded
Mackinac. It shows the islands and surrounding territory in detail.
[Published in Gent’s Magazine, London.]
7.
Map of the Middle States of America, Comprends New-York, New-Jersey,
Pennsylvania, Delaware and the Territory N. W. of Ohio, 1795
From
west to east, the southern half of Ohio is divided into five tracts. What
is now West Virginia is here designated “Indiana.” Many Indian
villages are shown. Two interesting depictions on this map are the
Traverse Isles in “Segana” (Saginaw) Bay and the Thunder Isles in
Thunder Bay. [John Russell. This map is from Volume II of Willliam
Winterbotham’s An Historical, Geographical, Commercial, and
Philosophical View of the United States, London, dated 12,13,1794.]
8.
Michigan Territory, 1823
The
map, a folio engraving with original hand color, is from A General
Atlas. The territory is shown as extending from present-day Michigan
through Wisconsin and into Minnesota, bounded by Lake Superior, the “R.
la Plue,” and the upper Mississippi. Rivers and lakes are shown
throughout, with indications of the major portages connecting the Great
Lakes system with the Mississippi watershed. Settlements and roads are
indicated in southeastern Michigan and a number of forts and Indian
villages are shown in the western parts of the territory. [Fielding Lucas,
Jr., Baltimore.]
9.
Haut Canada et Michigan, No. 42, Amer. Sep., 1825
This
is the first lithographed map of Michigan. Settlements are located; copper
and lead mines and salt licks are indicated in the text. [Ph. Vandermaelen;
lithographed by H. Ode and Ph. Lippens, April 1825; printed in Atlas
Universel de Geographie, published at Brussels, 1827.]
10.
Michigan and the Great Lakes, 1835
This
significant map shows the changing boundaries of the old Northwest
Territory. Present-day Wisconsin is shown as “District Huron, attached
to Michigan.” This political division was short-lived. Prior to 1828,
Wisconsin was administered by Illinois and in 1836 became a separate
territory. [Engraved by G. W. Boynton and Co. for Thomas Bradford’s A
Comprehensive Atlas, Boston.]
11.
“A MAP Exhibiting the relative positions of LAKE ERIE and MICHIGAN
According to recent Surveys” and “A MAP exhibiting the relative position
of LAKE ERIE and MICHIGAN, According to Mitchell’s Map. Published in 1755.
1836
A
number of very obvious differences occur between these two maps. On
Mitchell’s map, the “Miamis” River enters Lake Erie near what is now
Toledo. On the other, Toledo is present and the river previously referred
to is shown correctly as the “Maumee.” The “Due East Line from the
southern Bend of Lake Michigan,” has been correctly noted on the Burr
map and “a line from the southern Bend of Lake Michigan to N. Cape
Maumee bay” is also shown. The sliver of land between these two lines
formed the basis of the boundary dispute between Michigan and Ohio (the
“Toledo War”). [David Burr, believed published in Pontiac.]
12.
Geographical, Statistical, and Historical Map of Michigan Territory, 1822
Although
Michigan Territory was created in 1805, development proceeded slowly until
the 1820s, except in the Detroit area. In 1822 the Indian Line still ran
about midway through the lower peninsula. [Issued by H. C. Carey and I.
Lea, Philadelphia. First separate map of Michigan, published in A
Complete Historical Chronological and Geographical American Atlas,
Philadelphia, PA.]
13.
The Tourist’s Pocket Map of Michigan, 1837
The
map shows Michigan internal improvements, roads, distances, etc. There are
insets with steam boat routes and stage routes. [By J. H. Young,
Philadelphia, published by S. Augustus Mitchell, sold by Mitchell and
Hinman.]
14.
Map of the Surveyed Part of Michigan, 1847
The
revised geography of this map from Farmer’s earlier maps reflects the
continuing growth of the state. Farmer moved to Detroit in 1821, and his
maps are important examples of early Michigan cartography. [By John
Farmer, New York.]
15.
Lake Superior and the Northern Part of Michigan, 1855
This
map appeared as No. 43 in Colton’s Atlas of the World by George
W. Colton, New York. [Published by J. H. Colton and Co., NY.]
16.
A New Map of Michigan – with its Canals, Roads & Distances, 1856
A
fully color lithographed map from the New Universal Atlas shows 72
counties (versus 83 today). In the Upper Peninsula, Alger, Baraga,
Dickinson, Gogebic, Iron, Luce and Menominee Counties are still missing,
and Keweenaw falls outside the map’s format. On the lower peninsula,
Bay, Benzie, Charlevoix and Muskegon counties have not yet been formed.
Also missing are such now larger cities as Alpena, Bay City, Benton
Harbor, Muskegon and Traverse City. There are no railroads north of
Pontiac. [Charles Desilver, Philadelphia.]
17.
County Map of Michigan and Wisconsin, 1867
This
map appeared in the 1876 and 1868 editions of Mitchell’s New General
Atlas. [S. Augustus Mitchell, Jr.]
18.
Michigan, 1874
This
map shows the railroads in Michigan’s upper and lower peninsulas. [G. W.
and C. B. Colton and Co.]
19.
Nördlicher Thiel der Vereinigten Staaten, 1817
In
this copper engraved map with original outline coloring of the northeast
section of the country, an emaciated Ohio occupies only the eastern half
of the modern state. Everything west of “Chellicothee” from the Ohio
River northward and the lower peninsula of today’s Michigan (and
possibly including even the upper) belongs to part of an immense Indiana;
both Cincinnati and Detroit are in Indiana. [Christian Gottlieb Theophil
Reichard, N. P. Nuremberg or Weimar, Germany.]
20.
The Upper Territories of the United States, 1814
This
is a fine, transitional map of the old Northwest Territory. The northern
boundary of Illinois and Indiana has been drawn to exclude Lake Michigan,
leaving Chicago outside Illinois. Detroit is the most prominent settlement
in the region, but Sandusky, Chillicothe, Fort Wayne, Vincennes, Fort
Chartes and Cahokia are also shown. [Mathew Carey; engraved by Kneass and
Delleker for Carey’s General Atlas.]
21.
A New Map of Upper and Lower Canada from the Latest Authorities, 1807
A
most interesting aspect of this map is that the fictitious “Isle
Philippeaux” is still found in Lake Superior at this late date. Also
near the truncated “District of Main” is the note, “these highlands
are supposed to be the demarcation boundary between Canada and the US.”
Fur trade detail is found throughout. [John Cary.]
22.
A Map of the North Western Territory, 1796
This
is a detailed map of the area north of the Ohio River, including the
Indian Line, Ohio Company lands, the Seven Ranges and a high plain in
lower Michigan. Bellin’s fictitious islands appear in Lake Superior.
[Engraved by S. Hill for Jedediah Morse’s The American Universal
Geography, published by Thomas and Andrews, Boston.]
23.
Il Paese de’ Selvaggi Outagamiani, Mascoutensi, Illinesi, E Parte Delle
VI. Nazioni, 1778
This
map shows Lake Michigan and the upper Mississippi River. In 1778, Antonio
Zatta published his popular 12 sheet map of America, based largely on the
important Mitchell map of 1755. Each finely engraved map stands on its own
as a separate, regional map. [Antonio Zatta, Venice, Italy.]
24.
Carte des Lac du Canada, 1744
This
is the first separate engraved map of the lake region of Western Canada.
Charlevoix, the Jesuit explorer and historian, had covered much of the
area by canoe. This is the first printed map to show fictitious islands in
Lake Superior. They were copied by other mapmakers. [N. Bellin, Paris.]
25.
Carte Particuliere du Fleuve Saint Louis, 1719
This
trapper’s map of the Great Lakes shows the rapids and portages of the
waterway network throughout the lake region north of the Ohio River. The
text lists the Indian tribes, wildlife, merchandise needed for barter with
the natives, and the value of various pelts in relation to trading goods.
[H. A. Chatelaine, Paris.]
26.
Geological Map of the Middle and Western States, 1843
The
outcropping strata, identified by more than 20 shades of hand-applied
watercolors, is shown from New York southward to North Carolina and
westward to the Mississippi River. The map perfectly illustrates —nearly
a century and half ago—the relationships between the major structural
features of the area such as the folded Appalachians, the Paleozoic
monocline forming Niagara Falls, the Cincinnati anti-cline and the
Illinois and Michigan basins. [James Hall, Albany, NY; lithographed by the
Endicott Firm, from Geology of New York, Part IV.]
27.
North America. Sheet V. The North West and Michigan Territories, 1833
Lake
Michigan (“height above the level of the sea 198 years, depth unknown”)
is virtually linear. Other than oversize Saginaw and Sanilac counties,
there are no counties north of the Grand River. Rather, the entire area is
occupied by Ottawas and Miamis with an apparently extraneous old “Indian
Boundary” dissecting both tribal regions. Today’s Upper Peninsula,
occupied by “Chippeways,” is here part of Huron of Northwest Territory
(i.e., Wisconsin), which has only three other giant counties: Iowa,
Crawford and Brown. [The Society for the Diffusion of Useful Knowledge,
Baldwin and Craddock, London.]
28.
Neuste Karte von Michigan, 1845
This
is a copper engraved map from an edition of Meyer’s Handatlas.
Many Indian villages, a few forts, trading posts and Indian paths are
located. Lansing, the capital of Michigan, did not yet exist. One of the
insets shows steamboat routes and distances from Detroit to other towns. [Hildburghausen,
Germany.]
29.
Eastern United States, Ten Sheets, No. 1, 1882
This
is a double-page map in four colors. As far as is known, this is the final
descendant, published nearly half a century later, of the 1833 map, North
America. Sheet V. The North West and Michigan Territories by the Society
for the Diffusion of Useful Knowledge. [From the Popular Atlas by
Letts, Son & Co. Limited, London.]
(Adapted
from “Map Collection,” January 2001,” Jesse Besser Museum, Alpena,
MI.)
What's
Cool About Maps? features 29 maps from the collection of the Jesse
Besser Museum, Alpena, Michigan. The exhibit was at the Michigan Historical Museum, Lansing, Michigan, during the fall of 2001.
This
online minitour of the exhibit features one map from each of seven themes.
Visit each of the themes by clicking on the titles in the left
column. The map images were photographed under existing light
conditions in the gallery. Click on the thumbnail to see a larger image.
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