Antique maps and prints of historic Alaska.

We supply genuine historical maps and prints by mail order - all are eminently suitable for framing and are offered On Approval, which
GUARANTEES YOUR ENTIRE SATISFACTION!

This short REFERENCE PAGE is designed to provide no more than a 'glimpse' of the history of ALASKA,
with a couple examples of antiquarian maps and engravings of the State and some interesting Links.

This Page is provided as a REFERENCE RESOURCE - it is NOT an Inventory.

After very many years in the Trade, I am now retired and the Postaprint Website as such is no longer available.
However this large collection of Reference Pages is being left on line, as we hope you will find them to informative and helpful. They provide details of many of the maps, books and engravings we had the pleasure of dealing in over so many years.
For a complete  index of all such Reference Pages PLEASE DO CLICK HERE.
However, my wife has a store on eBay, with many offers of delightful antiquarian maps & prints & engravings.

We only offer genuine original antiquarian maps and historical engravings, printed at the dates stated.
We do NOT deal in modern reproductions.

ALASKA TERRITORY

The article below was written in 1885 and makes interesting reading.

Topography: Alaska has an extreme length, north and south, of 1,100 miles; an extreme breadth of 800 miles. It is divided into the following divisions: Arctic, Yukon, Kuskoquim, Aleutian, Kadiak and Southeastern, which have a combined area of 531,409 square miles, or 340,101,760 acres.

The country is of volcanic origin, and contains several active volcanoes. A great mountain range extends from British Columbia along the coast in a northwesterly direction, and contains, among other peaks, that of Mt. St. Elias, 17,900 feet high. Point Barrow, in 71° 23' north latitude, is the extreme northern point; Cape Prince of Wales, the most westerly projection, is but fifty-four miles from East Cape, Asia.

The coast line is more than 4,000 miles in length, but the only harbors of importance lie in the south.

The principal river is the Yukon, which rises in British America and empties into Behring Sea; it is 1,800 miles in length and to a distance of 600 miles from its mouth is more than a mile in width; during the summer it is navigable for light draught steamers three-fourths of its length. Other large rivers are the Kuskoquim, Copper, Chilkaht and Stikine.

The mainland is well wooded with Sitka spruce, yellow cedar, hemlock, balsam fir, birch and other valuable trees, but the Aleutian Islands are entirely destitute of timber. The only agricultural region is that near Sitka and Cook's inlet.

Climate: ln the Yukon or northern division the climate is one of extreme severity.

The mean annual temperature is about 25° Fahrenheit, but in the Peninsula and Aleutian Islands, and on the southwest coast, the intense cold common to Minnesota and Maine is unknown.

At Sitka the mean temperature is about 44°. The climate is moist and warm.

The average rainfall at this point is from sixty-five to ninety inches, it being one of the rainiest places in the world, exclusive of the tropics.

The summers are extremely short, and as regards agriculture, the entire country is of no value.

History: Alaska was discovered in 1741 by the Russian explorer, Vitus Behring, who explored both the mainland and adjacent islands. In 1776 Captain Cook, Vancouver and Ledyard visited it, and in 1778 Cook explored the coast and deep inlet which bears his name.

Toward the close of the eighteenth century the Russians established trading-posts on several islands and at Sitka, then called New Archangel, and points along the coast.

In 1799 Emperor Paul granted a charter to the Russian-American fur company, conferring on them the exclusive right of hunting and fishing in the American dominions of the Czar; this charter was renewed in 1839, but on its expiration in 1862, owing to the great abuse of the power which it conferred, the Imperial government refused to again renew it.

The United States begun negotiations for the purchase of Alaska in 1867, the Senate ratified the treaty May 20, and on October 18 it was formally transferred, the amount paid for it being $7,200,000.

In 1870 Congress created Alaska a military and collection district, the Territory remaining unorganized. The laws of the United States relating to customs, commerce and navigation were extended over it by act of July 27, 1868.

A district government, providing for a governor and district court, was created by Congress under act passed May 17, 1884. The laws of Oregon are declared to be the law in the District of Alaska when not in conflict with those of the United States.

Alaska was also created a land district, with a land office at Sitka.

Population: Census of 1880 : White, 430 ; Creole, 1,756; Innuit, 17,617 Aleut, 2,145; Tinneh, 3,927; Thlinket, 6,763 ; Hyda, 788.

VIEWS OF ALASKA

Published in the Illustrated London News in 1868.

Alaska Territory Late Russian America.

The American flag can just be seen flying left of centre. This view was taken shortly after the purchase of Alaska by the United States.

ANTIQUARIAN MAP OF ALASKA

Published by Armstrong. 1891.

Overall size is 6x4 inches. ORIGINAL COLOURING

INTERESTING LINKS

OTHER POSTAPRINT US STATES FEATURE PAGES

Index of Features of Alaska

Lycos Destination Guide/Alaska

Alaska Cities, Metropolitan areas, Boroughs, Census areas and Regions.

Contributions and suggestions for additional links would be most welcome.

EMAIL ENQUIRIES

These Scans Pages are provided by way of a continuous on-going project to offer our Customers & Visitors a permanent ILLUSTRATED record of antiquarian items passing through our hands. With antique maps & old engravings becoming increasingly scarce & difficult to find, we feel the project worth the considerable time expended in the preparation! I do hope you will find them of interest.
 Who knows when we may obtain some of them again!

POSTAPRINT, supplied picture framers and antiquarian map & print dealers for many years, before I retired. These web pages contain some 1000's of examples of the cartographer's art from the 16th to the 19th century, along with engravings, lithographs and etchings by leading artists of their generation. Historical maps, views, and engravings on virtually every subject, including Vanity Fair (Spy) Cartoons. Postaprint also supplied antique prints and maps to Art Galleries, Shops and Fine Art Retailers.

Do visit my wife's eBay Store
A wide range of genuine antique engravings, maps, prints, lithographs, illustrated books and atlases.

Specialist mail order suppliers of collectible historical antique maps and engravings.