Historic Railroad Map of Missouri - 1865
Description
St. Louis was founded south of the confluence of the Mississippi and Missouri rivers by French traders Pierre Laclde and Rene Auguste Chouteau in 1764, naming the community after King Louis IX. St. Louis’ steamboat era began in 1817. Steam engines had been developed to propel ships in the late 18th century, but weren't widely used until the early 1800's, when western expansion and calm river currents aided the steamships in replacing the sailing ships that had been used to carry commercial goods along rivers to lakes. Steamships used steam power as a primary method of propulsion to drive propellers or paddlewheels. They enabled goods to be transported and traded efficiently. The boats were very dependable, as they could navigate as easily upriver, against the current, as downriver. Rapids north of St. Louis made it the northernmost input for many of the large boats.
St. Louis was called "Gateway to the West". In 1850, St. Louis became the largest U.S. city west of Pittsburgh. St. Louis' population more than doubled from 1850 to 1860.
St. Joseph was a rough and tumble frontier town in the mid-1800s. Its streets were lined, on a daily basis, with hundreds of wagon trains waiting to be ferried across the river.
In 1858, John Patee opened a luxurious four-story brick hotel in St. Joseph. By 1860, it became the headquarters for the Pony Express, and a resting place for company riders. During the Civil War, the Union army took over the hotel, and Patee, a supporter of the Confederacy, decided to sell the hotel in a nation-wide lottery. At the end of the war, 100 tickets came back unsold, so Patee bought them himself and won his hotel back. From 1865-1868, the building became the Patee Female College. In 1869, it became a hotel again.
In Kansas City, the West Bottoms area where the Missouri and Kansas Rivers merge had been written about in Captain William Clark's journals of 1804: "the countrey about the mouth of this river is verry fine." He noted that the area teemed with elk, deer, buffalo, bear and the now extinct Carolina parakeet. The West Bottoms area was then used as a staging area for the many travelers setting out on the Oregon and Santa Fe trails.
The biggest outfitter in the area was the Central Overland California and Pikes Peak Express Company, but with the decline of the Pony Express, the company went out of business. Its facilities were later used for the Kansas City Stockyards.
This map was published in 1865 by G.W. & C.B. Colton & Co. It shows river valleys, cities, towns, counties, and the railroad network of 1865.
Materials
Archive Paper
Premium fine art paper that provides accurate color reproduction with high-contrast, high-resolution print output and maximum image permanence. A high-quality print ready for framing.
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- Museum quality paper for high-quality fine art.
- Ultra smooth, neutral white matte finish.
- Heavy-weight 230 gsm, 9.5 mil thickness.
- Printed with pigment inks for longer print life and enhanced fade resistance.
- Pigment based Canon LUCIA inks provide smooth tones and rich colors in fine, precise detail.
Luster Photo Paper
A premium semi-gloss photo paper with a subtle texture that produces a vivid, richly detailed print. This material results in an exquisitely detailed giclee print of substantially higher quality than a standard poster.
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- Printed on 10 mil premium luster photo paper resulting in a brilliant, colorful image with a vivid life-like quality.
- Pigment based Canon LUCIA inks provide smooth tones and rich colors in fine, precise detail.
- Inks have a lightfastness rating of over 100 years, guaranteeing minimal noticeable fading over a very long period of time.
- Printed using very high resolution source files.
- Giclee printing is superior to traditional lithography in a number of ways: colors are brighter, lasts longer, and is a higher resolution.
Canvas on Wood Rails
A canvas giclee print is mounted to wooden hanging rails placed along the top and bottom of the map. Ready to hang on the wall using the attached hanging cord. Wood rails feature a natural finish.
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- Premium 19 mil canvas material.
- Wood rails are 1 1/8" wide, round front.
- USA sourced solid maple wood.
- High quality giclee fine art print with a lightfastness rating of over 100 years.
- Pigment based Canon LUCIA inks provide smooth tones and rich colors in fine, precise detail.
Canvas Gallery Wrap
A high quality canvas giclee print is hand stretched over a sturdy wood frame. Printed on demand and handcrafted in Seattle, WA. The canvas gallery wrap serves as a stunning piece of art ready to hang on your wall.
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- Premium 19 mil canvas material.
- Pigment based Canon LUCIA inks provide smooth tones and rich colors in fine, precise detail.
- High quality giclee fine art print with a lightfastness rating of over 100 years.
- Durable canvas mounted to a 1" deep wood frame.
- Ready to hang with included easy-to-use hanging kit.