Historic Railroad Map of the United States - 1849
Description
This map was drawn and engraved by J.M. Atwood and published in 1849 by J.H. Colton. It shows relief, drainage, place names, Indian locations, railroads, trails, and steamship routes.
Inset maps include the "Gold Regions of California" and "South America". The illustration at the left depicts the recently discovered Pyramid Lake in upper California. The work portrays Capt. John C. Frémont and his party at the lake's edge.
Capt. Frémont likely traveled through the area during his second expedition to map the west and locate convenient railroad routes. Frémont's mappings of the west guided thousands of people in the late 1840's to Oregon and California. His reports and maps were used in the 1849 published work, "Emigrants' Guide to California", which was highly used by "Forty-Niners" during the California Gold Rush.
The California Gold Rush began in 1848 with the discovery of gold at Sutter's Mill, in Coloma, California. As news of the find travelled, California saw a massive influx of people, and California cities boomed. Some of the earliest gold seekers were able to find gold quite easily, and were able to pull thousands of dollars worth out of the rivers daily. Capt. Frémont himself became rich from a mine he owned in the Sierra foothills near Mariposa.
However, as more and more gold seekers arrived, many more left empty handed. The effect that the Gold Rush had on the American west coast cannot be understated. With a population of 15,000 before the discovery, hundreds of thousands left their homes for the "Golden State", and the territory saw it's cities chartered, a state constitution drafted, and it's admittance to the Union in 1850.
There are several tales of lost treasure surrounding Pyramid Lake. There is a tale concerning Paiute Indian Johnny Calico who reportedly buried gold coins under a large rock at Pyramid Lake, and another story about a group of Paiute Indians abandoning two chests of gold coins, that they had stolen from a group of prospectors, at the lake's edge under a steep cliff.
As recent as 1916, prospector John Durkin purportedly found convincing clues to a rich mine in a canyon at the north end of Pyramid Lake. Brownish colored float rock at that location was found to contain valuable amounts of gold, silver and mercury. Durkin worked the site for some time, discovering parts of the float occasionally, but never finding the ore’s source.
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.