Disturnell's New Township Map of the State of New York, Showing All the Canals, Railroads, etc.

Smith, John Calvin

Published by J. Disturnell, New York, 1850

About this Item

[New York]: J. Disturnell, 1850. Folding lithographed map (19" x 25 â… ", 482mm x 637mm) of New York, including Connecticut, Vermont and portions of other surrounding states. With two insets: Brooklyn and Williamsburgh [sic] and the St. Lawrence River. Bound in the publisher's green cloth. Title gilt to the front board. Rear cover a little soiled. The paste-down starting at the head. The map unusually fine. Ownership inscriptions of "Oscar Soule/ ?Enelid/ Onondaga Co./ N.Y." and "E.L. Soule & co., Syracuse/ Onondaga Co./ NY" in graphite to the front paste-down. This case map -- first published in 1847 -- shows New York State in 1850, and shows a state very rural and sparsely populated. The vast suburbs and commuter towns surrounding New York City were - if extant at all - rural hamlets. The vacation hotspots of the Catskills and Eastern Long Island were just seeing their first development. This map was made right as the railroads that would drive the state's expansion began operation: the Long Island, New York & Erie, Hudson River, and New York & Harlem Railroads, to name a few, all began operation within a few years of this map's creation. The advent of railroads changed the way areas developed once again: the limits of expansion grew as people began to take trains rather than horsecars. This map shows the historic New York: it shows long-gone villages which are now suburban sprawl, cross-Hudson ferries replaced by bridges, and rural mountains replaced by ski resorts. New York's story is rich, and this map provides a snapshot of a chapter unfamiliar to modern New Yorkers. E.L. Soule & Co. made "Sovereign Balm Pills" in Syracuse, which were advertised as a panacea for digestive and liver complaints. Oscar Soule (1834-1902) was one of the prominent members of the county, and his mansion at 764 West Onondaga still stands; he was, apparently, a mincemeat-baron. The Soules and their businesses will have depended on maps such as this to understand their market and clients. Not in Howes or Sabin. Catalogued by Jonah Kramer. Seller Inventory # JBK0003

Bibliographic Details

Title: Disturnell's New Township Map of the State ...

Publisher: J. Disturnell, New York

Publication Date: 1850

Binding: Hardcover

Condition: Near fine