A terrific railroad map that is most notable in its depiction of the Golden Spike area in Utah: the entire track is shown completed except for 50 miles between Weber Canyon and Fort Bridger! As far as we know this is the only railroad map with this unique depiction. It was published just days before the completion of this historic railway. Scores of railroads are located throughout the country, including complete and projected lines; the Northern & Southern Pacific Trunk lines are shown in bold lines. Published by the American Photo-Lithographic Company using a printing technique called "Osborne's Process." The map is still bound into the original 31-page report with gray paper wrappers entitled "The Policy of Extending Government Aid to Additional Railroads to the Pacific by Guaranteeing Interest on Their Bonds."

The map is signed on the front wrapper "Respts of Th. H. Canfield Burlington Vt." Canfield spent his career establishing telegraph lines and railroads, first in New England and later in the West. When Canfield proposed a northern route to the Pacific to President Pierce, Secretary of War Jefferson Davis blocked it by arguing that three different routes should be explored. After the Civil War, Canfield was instrumental in establishing the Northern Pacific Rail Road where he served as director.

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Condition: B+

The map has light toning and faint offsetting. Report text is clean and bright with manuscript notations on front wrapper.