Map of Public Surveys in California. US Topographical Bureau 1854 old

£680

SKU: P-7-027512

'Map of Public Surveys in California'


The First US Government Survey Map of California (1854). A formative 19th-century wall map, this is the earliest in a series of annual progress maps charting the advance of U.S. Government land surveys across California. Printed by P.S. Duval & Company, it features the facsimile signature of John Coffee Hays, then U.S. Surveyor General for California. The map captures the initial implementation of the Public Land Survey System in the state, with townships arranged in six-by-six-mile grids extending from three principal meridians—Mount Diablo, Mount Pierce (Humboldt), and San Bernardino—and their respective baselines. Surveyed townships are denoted with an "S," while vast portions of the state, especially in Southern California, remain largely unsurveyed. Tulare Lake still present in the Central Valley prior to its drainage. Towns and settlements named include San Francisco, Monterey, Santa Barbara, San José, Alviso, Santa Clara, Napa, Sonoma, Sacramento, Marysville, Union City, San Pedro, Vallejo, Oakland, San Diego and Benicia, along with two settlements simply labeled "New Town." Los Angeles is also marked, although it was a Pueblo of no more than 2,000 people at the time. The Wool and Sebastian military reserves are also marked. The map preserves a valuable record of California during the gold rush - a period of rapid settlement and development - and shortly after its accession to the Union

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Size 53 x 119 cm | 21.0 x 46.5 inches

Date Published: 1854

Type: Antique survey map

Author: US Topographical Bureau

John C. Hays, Surveyor General of California; lith. P.S. Duval & Co.

Publication: Message from POTUS to Congress

"Message from the President of the United States to the two Houses of Congress at the commencement of the second session of the Thirty-Third Congress", December 4, 1854. Senate. 33d Congress, 2d Session. Ex. Doc. No. 1. Part III. Illustrations belonging to reports accompanying the message. Washington: A. O. P. Nicholson, Printer. 1854.

Condition: Good |

Good; suitable for framing. The map was published without a lower left margin, which has been restored with partial loss of the printed border. Toning along folds. Wear at junctures, restored. Please check the scan for any blemishes prior to making your purchase. Please contact us if you would like to arrange to view this map. This is a folding map. There is nothing printed on the reverse side, which is plain

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Condition Guide

We assess the condition of each item using three categories: Good, Fair, and Poor. We strive to ensure that any significant flaws are clearly shown in the images provided and detailed in the accompanying condition statement.

Good

The item presents well, with no significant flaws, and is in frameable condition. Minor imperfections—such as light spotting or offsetting, small blemishes, tight margins, neatly repaired tears, or discreet/professionally executed restoration—do not materially detract from its overall appearance.

Fair

The item shows noticeable flaws but remains in frameable condition. Some buyers may feel these imperfections affect its visual appeal. Typical issues may include more prominent spotting, blemishes, bleed-through from the reverse, obvious offsetting, visible or extensive restoration, wear along fold lines or junctures, small wormholes, trimmed or closely cropped edges, or less carefully executed repairs.

Poor

The item has major flaws that significantly impact its presentation and/or suitability for framing. These may include heavy spotting, staining, bleed-through, offsetting, unrepaired damage, or poorly executed repairs such as tears, holes, or areas of paper loss (including within the printed image). The item may also be fragile and prone to further deterioration.