John Melish, United States of America, 1823

Missouri Territory & State in a Stunning & Rare Map

Recognizing the demand for geographical information on the American West was limitless for the foreseeable future, Melish undertook to accumulate a vast amount of descriptions, statistics, and maps, and in 1816 produced in six sheets his famous map. It proved so popular it was reprinted at least twenty-two times by the end of 1822. For the Texas area, Melish relied heavily on the surveys conducted by William Darby, who had personally surveyed much of the Sabine River area. … Melish’s map significantly improved the descriptions and depictions of the Texas interior, but perhaps its most lasting value to history was its official association with the Adams-Onís Treaty.  —Martin & Martin

The area representing Missouri Territory, colored in green, is essentially the same territory as that of the Louisiana Purchase or Louisiana Territory: it was renamed Missouri Territory in 1812 to avoid confusion with the new state of Louisiana. The present map shows the new State of Missouri, which was formed in 1821. The map includes notes on Lewis and Clark’ expedition, an early Michigan Territory and “Northwest Territory” (east of the Mississippi, encompassing present-day Wisconsin and Minnesota). The treatment of the Missouri River Valley reflects information gathered by Lewis and Clark. A number of forts are indicated in the Mississippi Valley, essentially representing the frontier of the United States settlement at the time. The map shows towns, roads, detailed waterways, Indian toponyms, and exploration notes. Texas is shown with (an incorrectly placed) Galveston and other place names, including Ft. Matagorda.

Considered one of the founders of American commercial cartography, John Melish established the first company in the United States devoted exclusively to the publication of cartographic and geographical works. His large 1816 “Map of the United States” is among the most important and attractive maps of the United States published in the 19th century. According to Schwartz and Ehrenberg, “it distinguished Melish as the leading American map publisher of the second decade and placed American maps on equal footing with those produced by the prestigious firms in London and Paris.” “The World on Mercator’s Projection,” marked the beginning of Melish’s partnership with the master engraver Samuel Harrison in 1818. Melish’s 1818 revised edition of “Map of the United States” dazzled the contemporary public, and Niles Weekly Register hailed it as “one of most beautiful and best finished maps we have seen published in the United States.”

Refs.: Martin & Martin, Maps of Texas and the Southwest, 1513–1900, p. 115; Phillips, America, p. 880; Wheat, Transmississippi West, no. 327.