"Sketch of Capt. Gunnison's Route to Sept. 20, 1853 Central Pacific Railroad Exploration [together with original report and maps]", U.S. War Department

This map was issued in the scarce preliminary octavo edition of the Pacific Railroad Surveys that preceded the quarto edition by over a year. Wheat mentions the map on page 202 under the much larger Gunnison & Beckwith map (TMW #842) that covers from St. Louis to San Francisco. On this smaller and earlier map the central region of Colorado is several times more detailed. The route follows the Arkansas River valley to includes today's La Vita Pass, Garland, Gunnison and the vicinity of Grand Junction. The last camp is dated September 20th. Barely five weeks later Gunnison and Kern were killed near Siever Lake, Utah. The map is bound at the rear of the original Report of the Secretary of War, 33rd Congress, 1st Session, Ex Doc 29 (6.3" x 9.7"). This map was bound in such a way that it has never been opened and appears to be very good with no physical flaws and perhaps just a little fold toning.

The report is complete with two additional maps bound at the rear: 1. Sketch of the Progress of the Northern Pacific Railroad Exploration up to the crossing of the Shayen River, (26 x 16"). Signed in the plate by Isaac Stevens. Folding as issued with a little toning or offsetting. 2) Sketch of the Northern Pacific Railroad from St. Paul to Ft. Union, (32 x 18"). This large folding map has loosened from the string binding. It is very good with only very faint toning on some folds, much better than normally seen. The 118 pp. report is dated February 6, 1854. It was never glued or bound, instead the loose signatures are held together with the original string.

References: Koepp No. I-127-2-4

Condition: B+

See description.