Antique Maps and Prints of the Historic Territory of New Mexico.

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

This Page is provided as a REFERENCE RESOURCE - it is NOT an Inventory.
Genuine original antiquarian maps and authentic historical engravings, printed at the dates stated.
We do NOT deal in modern reproductions.

We supply genuine historical maps and prints by mail order - all are eminently suitable for framing and are offered On Approval, which
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Topography: New Mexico has a length on the eastern boundary of 345 miles, and on the western of 390, with an average breadth, north of the thirty-second parallel, of 335 miles. Its area is 122,580 square miles, or 78,451,200 acres, of which 67,024,990 are unsurveyed.

The region now known as Arizona, obtained from Mexico by the Gadsden treaty of 1853, was annexed to New Mexico the following year, and formed a part of the Territory until 1863. In 1861 a tract of 14,000 square miles, lying east of the Rocky mountains, between the thirty-seventh and thirty-eighth parallels, was annexed to Colorado.

New Mexico as now constituted consists of a number of high, level plateaus, intersected by mountain ranges, often rising into high peaks, between which lie fertile valleys.

The Rocky mountains, before entering the Territory, divide into two ranges, the one on the east, the loftier of the two, ending near Santa Fe, and the other, known as the Sierra Madre, of lower elevation, and with numerous passes, extending to the southward until it reaches the Sierra Madre of Mexico. Almost two-thirds of the Territory is east of this range.

The region to the west, which has not been thoroughly explored, consists of high table lands and isolated peaks. East of the eastern range the land slopes gradually to the Mississippi. The Staked Plain, an elevated region, unwatered, and without wood, extends into the south eastern part of the Territory.

The principal river is the Rio Grande del Norte, which, rising in Colorado, flows south through New Mexico, and, continuing on its course toward the Gulf, forms the boundary between Texas and Mexico. Its principal affluent is the Pecos, which, rising in the eastern part of the Territory, empties into the Rio Grande in Texas. In the northeast rises the Canadian, which empties into the Arkansas; and in the southwest the Gila, which flows into the Gulf of California.

The valley of the Rio Grande has an elevation of 3,000 feet above the sea near the southern boundary, and of nearly 6,000 feet at the point where it crosses the Colorado line. On each side of this river, which is not navigable, the mountain ranges rise to an altitude of from 6,000 to 12,000 feet above the sea, the summits of the loftier peaks being above the snow line.

Timber is not abundant. The mountains are covered with pine, spruce and fir; nut-pine and cedar grow on the foot-hills, and sycamore and cottonwood in the river valleys.

The mean temperature at Santa Fe, with an elevation of 6,862 feet, is: spring, 49.70° Fahrenheit; summer, 70.4°; autumn, 50.6°; winter, 31.6°; year, 50.6°. The thermometer rarely rises above 88°, or sinks below 5°

Pulmonary complaints are infrequent, but owing to the rarity of the atmosphere, pneumonia and similar complaints are frequent. The rainfall is very slight, sometimes not exceeding ten inches per year.

History: Though one of the most backward and unimportant among the Territories, yet it was visited and settled by white men at an earlier date than any other part of the United States. It was first traversed by Alvar Nuñez, a Spaniard, prior to 1537, and was explored in 1539 and 1581 by parties sent by the viceroy of Mexico, who had heard rumors of its vast mineral wealth.

Between 1595 and 1599 a permanent settlement was made, and soldiers were stationed there to protect the missionaries who had for some years been toiling among the Indians. Santa Fe, an Indian town, was selected by the Spaniards as the chief place of their new possessions.

The natives, who had made some progress in the arts of civilization, who tilled the soil and lived in communities, were enslaved by their new masters, and forced to work in the mines.

So great was the cruelty with which they were treated that they revolted in 1680 and drove out the whites, burning the churches and destroying every vestige of the oppressors.

In 1694, after various fruitless attempts, Santa Fe was reoccupied by the Spaniards, who held undisputed rule in the Territory until 1837, when another insurrection broke out, which was, however, quelled without much trouble.

When the war broke out between the United States and Mexico, Gen. Kearney, in command of the army of the West, marched from the Missouri river to New Mexico, routed the opposing forces, and took possession of Santa Fe Aug. 18, 1846.

By the treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo, signed in 1848, the country was ceded to the United States, and was given a Territorial organization by the act of Congress of Sept. 9, 1850. The inhabitants revolted in 1849 and killed a number of Americans, including some of the Territorial officers, but were soon reduced to obedience.

Early in 1862 Santa Fe and the southern portion of the Territory were occupied by Confederate troops, who, however, soon met with a defeat which compelled them to fall back into Texas.

Population: Census of 1880: Males, 64,496; Females, 55,069; Native, 111,514; Foreign, 8,051; White, 108,721; Colored, 10,854, including 57 Chinese and 9,772 Indians.

Before I retired, Postaprint supplied picture framers and antiquarian map & print dealers for over 25 years. The inventory encompassed examples of the cartographer's art from the 16th to the 19th century, along with topographical engravings, lithographs and etchings by leading artists of their generation. You can Search my wife's eBay Store Database for historic maps, views, and engravings on virtually every subject, including Vanity Fair (Spy) Cartoons. All our offers are genuine old and historical items on a wide range of subjects.
All are suitable for framing by Art Galleries, Shops and Fine Art Retailers.
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