175 Years ago…
I found this pocket map many years ago in an old desk on the farm. It now sits in a letter holder on my desk, I have often looked at it and wondered what’s it’s story…so I decided to do some research on this unique little book and here is what I found out…
A significant map publisher of the developing United States, Samuel Augustus Mitchell (S A Mitchell) was born in 1792.
His important Travellers’ Guide through the United States was published in 1835 and his atlas of outline maps was published in Philadelphia in 1839. His new Universal Atlas was published from 1846 in a variety of formats.
My map goes to the Missouri Territory. I’m sure this map was used when my great-great-great grandfather come from Lycoming County Pennsylvania to Whetstone Twp. Crawford County Ohio in 1835
They setteled near the town of Bucyrus, in Crawford County Ohio
His father, my great-great-great-great grandfather came from Germany to the Port of Philadelphia on the ship Fair America from the Port of Amsterdam in October of 1803 and settled in Hepburn Twp in Lycoming County Pa. till the family moved on west to Ohio.
Notice how BIG this little book becomes…
The index also contains some other interesting information…
The man responsible for these inovative maps: Samuel Augustus Mitchell (1792, Bristol, Connecticut – December 20, 1868, Philadelphia) was an American geographer.
Mitchell worked as a teacher before turning to publish geography textbooks and maps. Sales of his 24 works reached an annual sale of over 400,000 copies
For over 50 years, Samuel Augustus Mitchell and his successors and son were one of the most prominent publishers of maps and atlases in the United States.
Samuel Augustus Mitchell was born in Bristol, Connecticut on March 20, 1792. His father emigrated from Scotland in 1773. While little is known about his early schooling, it is know that Mitchell found the quality of early geography text books to be lacking, and determined that he would write and publish better works. This decision led him to relocate to Philadelphia in 1829 or 1830, which was then the center of commercial publishing in America.
Following publication of the New American Atlas, Mitchell began issuing the individual maps in pocket map format. Beginning in 1834, Mitchell began offering reduced sized Tourist Pocket Maps of a number of states in the United States. J.H. Young and D. Haines are listed as the engravers on these maps. In 1832, Mitchell offered the first edition of his Travellers Guide Through the United States, A Map of the Roads, Distances, Steam Boat & Canal Routes &c. By J.H. Young . . ., which would become one of his most popular and enduring, works. The map of the United States was done by steel engraving, one of the earliest uses of a steel engraving in map publishing in America. In the same year, the first edition of Mitchell’s Map of the United States, by J.H. Young was issued, bearing the copyright date of October10, 1831. This map would be revised and issued until 1844. Young also compiled A New Map of the United States in 1833. These two wall maps would come to dominate the market and their success led to several later US wall maps issued by Mitchell. This second map was also issued under the title of Mitchell’s Reference and Distance Map of the United States, which was issued until 1851.
Here are a couple of websites I found on the subject;
I think you will see that I have a valuable little piece of American history as well as a great piece of family nostalgia.
From the Gourmet Farm Girl personal collection
