Antique Maps and Prints of Historic California.

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

This short REFERENCE PAGE is designed to provide no more than a 'glimpse' of the history of California,
with a couple of 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.
Genuine original antiquarian maps and authentic historical engravings, printed at the dates stated.
We do NOT deal in modern reproductions.

Topography: California, the largest State in the Union with the exception of Texas, has an extreme length of 770 miles; an extreme breadth of 330 miles; and an estimated area of 158,360 square miles, or 101,350,400 acres.

The Sierra Nevadas and the Coast Range of mountains run northwest and southeast, generally parallel, and are connected in the north and south by transverse ranges. Between the two ranges lie the San Joaquin and Sacramento valleys. The Yosemite valley, situated in the midst of the Sierras, forms one of the chief attractions of the State.

The Sierra Nevadas have a general elevation of from 8,000 to 15,000 feet. In the southern part of the main range is Mount Whitney, 15,000 feet high. In the north Mount Shasta, a bare volcanic peak of 14,400 feet in height, is the best known. The Coast Range is inferior in grandeur to the Sierras, having an average elevation of 2,500 to 4,000 feet.

The Sacramento river rises near Mount Shasta, and flows south until in latitude 38º it unites with the San Joaquin. The latter has its origin in Tulare Lake, and its course is northerly until it joins the Sacramento. After receiving the San Joaquin the Sacramento flows west to the sea.

The Klamath has its origin in Oregon, and flows through the northwest part of California; and the Colorado forms, in part, the southeast boundary, and empties into the Gulf of California.

The principal lakes are Tulare and Mono. Lake Tahoe forms part of the boundary between California and Nevada. The principal bay is that of San Francisco, which is forty miles long and nine miles wide, and forms the best harbor on the western coast of North America.

Climate: The variation in climate, owing to the difference in elevation and latitude, is great. On the coast the winters are mild and the summers extremely pleasant.

At San Francisco the summer mean is 60º Fahrenheit; that of winter, 51º; and of the year, 56º. In the interior the summers are much warmer, and in the Sacramento valley the mercury often reaches 100º.

In the twenty-three years, 1850 - 1872 inclusive, the rainfall, at the same city, varied from seven to fifty inches per annum, and extreme variability from year to year is shown in other parts of the State.

In the south the average is not over ten inches, and at Fort Yuma even less. The heavy snows which rest on the Sierras partially correct the irregularity of the rainfall.

History: The first discovery of the territory now known as California was made about the middle of the sixteenth century by the Spaniards, under Cortez; but no settlements were made by white men until about a century ago. In 1768 the Franciscan monks, who had succeeded to the Jesuits in the lower peninsula, withdrew from that country to Upper California, and established a number of missions near San Francisco.

In 1822 Mexico became independent of Spain, and from that time until 1840, in which year the missions were broken up, the Franciscans continually lost ground. A trade in furs and hides began soon after 1820. But actual settlers were very few; and when in March, 1844, Lieut. (afterwards Major-General) John C. Fremont succeeded, after incredible hardships, in reaching Sutter's Fort, on the Sacramento, having crossed the mountains without a guide, he found only a few trappers and hunters in the country.

Fremont's reports of the geography and resources of the territory largely increased the interest in it, and settlements rapidly followed. California was taken possession of by the United States during the war with Mexico, possession afterward being confirmed by the treaty of 1848.

Between 1844 and 1846 there was a large influx of Americans, and the discovery of gold in El Dorado county in February, 1848, induced such an immigration as had never before been seen in any country. In less than three years San Francisco and the neighboring mining camps contained a population of 150,000.

No Territorial government had been organized, but a convention was called in September, 1849, to frame a State constitution. This was ratified by the people without delay, and California was admitted into the Union Sept. 9, 1850.

The Indian population has almost disappeared, and the Mexicans are few in number. A convention to revise the constitution met on Sept. 28, 1878, and agreed upon a number of amendments, which were ratified by the popular vote.

Population: Census of 1880: Males, 518,176; Females, 346,518; Native, 571,820; Foreign, 292,874; White, 767,181; Colored, 97,513, including 75,132 Chinese, 86 Japanese, and 16,277 Indians and Half-breeds.

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.

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