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Description

"This map, a beautiful example of the cartographer's art, is unfortunately rare and little-known...it was by far the most accurate and complete map of California and of its gold regions which had as yet been published." - Wheat

Very scarce 3rd edition of George Henry Goddard's foundational Map of the State of California, issued in San Francisco by Britton and Rey in 1860.

This rare wall map shows California in an early statehood configuration, with large counties (no Orange, Ventura, Riverside, Imperial Counties in Southern California, for instance), and scant road networks connecting the state's few small communities.

The map key is unusually evocative, labeling "Small Towns & Ranchos", "Bars & other Mining Places", "Stage & Wagon Roads", "Emigrant & Mountain Trails", and "Canals & Main Ditches."

Nevada Territory had not yet been created when this map was published (this would follow in 1861), so California is bordered by Utah Territory and New Mexico to the east.

Some of the first California railroads are shown on the map.

Publishing History

The first edition was issued in 1857 (see Rumsey copy), with a reduced second edition issued in 1858, this third and final edition was issued in 1860.

Practically speaking, the map was succeeded by Ransom & Doolittle's map of California and Nevada, published in San Francisco by Warren Holt, starting in 1862 (first copyright in 1861).

Rarity

OCLC shows copies of the 1860 at UC Berkeley, Harvard, and Yale.

Condition Description
Expertly restored with closures of some tears at old folds. Flattened. Some restoration in the margins. Hand-colored by county.
Reference
See Shumate's essay on Goddard.