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[Railroads]  Reports of the Engineers of the Western Rail Road Corporation Made to the Directors in 1836-37.  Springfield, Merriam, Wood & Co., 1838.  8vo, plain wraps, 120pp., 2 large folding maps.  Nearly fine.  $400.00
Important early report containing initial survey results of engineers McNeill Gibbs, Whistler and Swift concerning a route for the "Massachusetts Railroad" from Worchester to Albany, New York.  This copy bearing the presumed pencil signature of McNeill Gibbs on the front cover.  Two large maps lithographed on thin paper tipped in at rear, each on a uniform scale of 2 miles/inch show the proposed route from "east of the Connecticut River" to Worchester and "West" of the river to the Hudson & Berkshire Railroad.  Map sheets if assembled 19" x 50".

Ref;  Sabin 103009

 

Darby, William  Geographical, Historical and Statistical Repository Vol.I – No.II.  Phila, Author, 1824.  1st edition, number 2 of 2 only, 8vo, letterpress wraps, 3 folding maps, 74-136pp., errata inside front cover, subscription terms inside rear cover.  Scattered browning, covers a bit soiled, fore edges chipped, overall very good.  $450.00
Very scarce example of Darby’s ephemeral attempt to publish an historical serial "Repository", curiously however Darby only managed to publish two numbers of volume one at a subscription price of 50 cents each.  This copy, No.2 of 2 issued, contains 3 folding frontis maps; a colored engraved "Geological Map of Pennsylvania" by R. Campbell, an uncolored "Map of the Country Contiguous to the Chesapeake & Delaware Canal by Henry Tanner and a "Profile and Topographical View of the Chesapeake & Delaware Canal also by Tanner.   Sabin does not note the folding maps.

Ref: Sabin Americana 18530; New Howes D-66

 

[Mining]  First Annual Report of the Board of Directors of the McKean And Elk Land and Improvement Company to the Stockholders.  Phila., E.C. & J. Biddle, 1857.  1st edition, 8vo, embossed and gilt cloth, 3 folding colored maps, 35pp., folding color geologic map, 2 folding colored sections.  Few small tears to larger maps and sections otherwise clean and tight, very good overall.  $500.00
Rare report from this consortium of wealthy Philadelphians concerning explorations and coal and iron deposits covering some 130,000 acres of eventual oil lands in northwestern Pennsylvania as well as avenues to markets in Philadelphia, Pittsburgh and New York City.  Undoubtedly a profitable venture as these lands would soon yield large volumes of petroleum.  The company was formed by Elisha Kent Kane's son Judge John Kane and other prominent Philadelphians.

Ref:  Sabin 43347

 

Boynton, Charles B. and T.B. Mason   A Journey Through Kansas With Sketches Of Nebraska: Describing The Country, Climate, Soil, Mineral, Manufacturing, and Other Resources.  Cincinnati, Moore, Wilstach, Keys & Co., 1855.  12mo, modern binding with original embossed cloth panels, folding map, x 216pp.  Very clean and tight, about fine.    $450.00
Early and important travel narrative being the second book on Kansas published.  Boynton gives first hand accounts of his travels through Kansas with T.B. Mason including settlement, agriculture and general difficulties along the Missouri River.

Ref: Sabin 7151; New Howes B-672; Streeter 1990; Graff 376; Wagner-Camp 250; Wheat (TM) 827; Eberstadt 137:41

 

[Railroads]   Statement of The Condition And Resources of The Kansas Central Railway (narrow gauge) From Leavenworth, Kansas, To Denver, Colorado.  Leavenworth, Kansas Farmer, 1871.  8vo, blue wraps printed in black and gold, large folding colored map, 19pp, housed in custom blue morocco and cloth clamshell case.  Overall fine.  Not in Sabin, Howes, Streeter, Graff, Wheat, Modelski or AII Kansas Imprints.   $1,800.00
A grandiose scheme by founders Leonard T. Smith and Lucien Scott to construct the only narrow gauge railroad in Kansas at the time, proposing to extend west from Leavenworth to the Colorado border.  At the time popular opinion suggested narrow gauge lines were more economical to construct than standard gauge lines, but this approach would not prove true for the KCR.  Economic and construction difficulties resulted in only 169 miles of track being laid by 1882.  The Kansas Central Railway was subsequently bought out by the Union Pacific Railroad, the narrow gauge tracks replaced with standard gauge and the line incorporated into the UPRR system.  This rare Kansas prospectus is accompanied by a Map Of The Kansas Central Railway and Its Connections, showing the plains west to central Colorado with the proposed Kansas Central route outlined in red.  Eberstadt – The map is of exceptional interest

Ref:  Eberstadt 137:274

 

[Railroads]  Reed, William B., Proceedings of the Citizens of Philadelphia Relative To The Rail Road To Erie, And of the Convention At Williamsport , Lycoming County , PA.   Phila., J. Thompson, 1836.  8vo, wraps, folding map, 30pp.  Very light soiling and wear, nearly fine or better.  $400.00
Excessively scarce and early railroad prospectus issued to promote support for commercial communication between Philadelphia and Lake Erie .  Inscribed by Wm. B. Reed, who authored and presented the proposition to Philadelphia citizens, to Charles B.Trego Esq[uire].  Reed was one of four original committee members and in 1838 was appointed Pennsylvania Attorney General, served a term in the state senate and later became Philadelphia District Attorney (see DAB).  Charles Trego was, at the time, a member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives and later served as state Geologist.

Ref:  Sabin 62082

 

Oakes, William   Scenery of the White Mountains : With Sixteen Plates, from the Drawings of Isaac Sprague.  Boston, Crosby, Nichols and Company, 1848.  1st ed., Folio, cloth, decorated in gilt, [4], 4pp, 16 lithograph plates with accompanying descriptive text.  Light wear, otherwise nearly fine.  $1,250.00
Outstanding early American lithograph plate book of New England scenery.  One of a purported 200 copies published, sold following the untimely and questionable death of William Oakes in 1848.  Oakes reportedly “fell” off a ferry in Boston harbor and drowned with ten pounds of buckshot his pockets prior to publication.  The preface credits J.H. Bufford with lithography though the fine plates, in the pastoral style of Currier & Ives, mostly bear credits to other contemporary lithographers.

Ref:  Sabin ; New Howes O-1; AHPCS Imprint Vol 27 No.2 [Jourdan, M].

 

Hall, Edward H.  The Great West: Travellers’, Miners’, And Emigrants’ Guide And Hand-Book To The Western, North-Western, And Pacific States And Territories.  NY, D. Appleton And Company, 1865.  1st thus, 12mo, stiff pictorial wraps, 198pp + 10pp advertisements, folding map lacking.  Light general wear, backstrip eroded, two small chips, text block clean and tight, good or better overall. $250.00
Scarce guide book to the Trans-Mississippi states and territories with much interesting and useful information for the emigrant.  Contains good general descriptions of the gold and silver fields, transportation routes, distances, climate and geography.  Hall includes the Homestead Law of 1862 and Amendment of 1864 and also Mining Laws of Idaho and Montana.

Ref:  New Howes H-57; Graff 1725, Wagner-Camp 417; Streeter 3075; Buck 655

 

Tracy, J.L.  Tracy’s Guide to Missouri and St. Louis.  St. Louis, R.P. Studley Co., 1871.  12mo, stiff printed wraps, 2 folding maps, [34], large folding map of Missouri, pal St. Louis Fair Grounds, [1].  Covers slightly worn, minor insect damage to fore edges, overall very clean and bright, very good or better.  $425.00


Ref: New Howes T-329

 

[Atlas]  Atlas of Bucks Co. Penna. From Official Records, Private Plans & Actual Surveys.  Phila., E.P. Noll & Co., 1891.  Folio, ¾ leather and embossed cloth, [2] 115pp. including 42 colored maps.  Rebacked, covers dampstained, portion of Langhorn Boro map lacking, internally clean and tight.  Not in Phillips Atlases.  $850.00
Very scarce and desirable Pennsylvania county atlas, lithographed and beautifully colored in pastels by A.H. Mueller.

Ref: LeGear Atlases L6161

 

[Atlas & Report]  Hague, Arnold et al  Geology of the Yellowstone National Park Part II Descriptive Geology, Petrography and Paleontology.  Wash. GPO, 1899.  Thick quarto, ¾ leather and marbled boards, marbled edges, ex-libris, 893pp, 121 plates many folding and in color.  Minor rubbing, rear hinge starting.  With  Atlas to Accompany Monograph XXXII On The Geology Of The Yellowstone National Park.  Wash., GPO, 1904.  Large folio, gilt stamped cloth, 3pp, 24 color maps.  Very fine, binding clean and tight, leaves clean, bright and supple.  $1,400.00
A unusually clean and bright copy of this important atlas which is usually rather tattered and worn.

Ref: Phillips Atlases 5115 & 18038

 

[Atlas]  Plat Book of Grayson County Texas.  St. Joseph, Jackson Map Company, 1908.  1st edition, folio, ¾ leather and cloth, 182 pp., 2 large foling maps tipped in.  Covers worn and detached, ffep detached, few chips and short marginal tears, text block clean and supple, good or better overall.  $800.00
A serviceable copy of the only Texas county atlas published prior to 1910.  Numerous color maps, photographic plates and business advertisements.  Texas’ first county atlas with a large folding map of Sherman and very large folding map of Texas tipped in (see Sloan Sale 22, Item 299 for this Texas map which brought $750.00)

Ref: Phillips Atlases 3582, 3922; LeGear Atlases L3260

 

 
 
 
 
 
 

 



 

 

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