This is one of the earliest General Land Office maps of Nevada. From 1850 to 1861 the Utah territorial government exercised control over the area of today's Nevada. The discovery of the Comstock Lode in June 1860 and the outbreak of the Civil War led to the establishment of the Nevada Territory on March 2, 1861. This map graphically illustrates the scanty knowledge of the area at the time. As typical for the time, Lake Tahoe is misshapen and here called Lake Bigler. The map names Carson City, Virginia City, Genoa, 5 Mile Ranch, Nye's Ranch, and more. It was made in the San Francisco office of the GLO and is signed in the plate by E.F. Beale. Beale [1822-1893] had a long and varied career in the West including Indian Agent, surveyor, camel driver and western wagon road builder. When this map was made he was the Surveyor General to California and Nevada. A year earlier he requested a Union Army command, but Lincoln persuaded him to remain as surveyor general and help keep California in the Union.

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Condition: B

Issued folding, now pressed and backed with archival tissue. With toning along some folds and fold intersection splits with slight loss in a few not affecting printed image.