history news

Historic map of American Southwest showing proposed railroad routes, southwestern topography, and wagon trail taken by surveyors in the Territory of New Mexico. Bold yellow text indicates the location, “Territory of New Mexico '', while small italicized black text represents indigenous tribes in the region like the Pah Utahs, Mohaves, Tontos, and Cosninas. Mountain ranges and high topography is represented by green areas with hatch marks reflecting elevation. The proposed railroad routes are in purple.

Map of the Month: September 2022

Our September Map of the Month is this mid-1800s map exploring the feasibility of constructing a trans-continental railroad route through Arizona. The full title is “Explorations and Surveys for a Rai...

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Reproduction of historic map showing city plans for New Orleans, includes illustrated Mississippi River and legend of significant places. A central portion of the city is magnified to show the markers including the church, jail, and guardhouse.

Map of the Month: August 2022

Our August Map of the Month is this 1964 reproduction of a 1764 map titled “Plan de la Nouvelle Orleans”. It depicts the land that now makes up New Orleans' French Quarter as it existed over 250 years...

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Magnification of the map inset showing the borders of Central American states. In the map, Honduras, Verapaz, Chiapas, Guatemala, and Nicaragua are depicted with boundaries which have drastically evolved since 1846. Boundaries are represented by a dotted or dashed line. Solid lines in the interior of the peninsula reflect major drainages. Concentric lines surrounding the peninsula reflect the elevational descent into the Gulf of Mexico.

Map of the Month: July 2022

Our July Map of the Month is this 1848 “Mexico & Guatemala” map published just before the end of the Mexican-American War by S. Augustus Mitchell. It features a detailed depiction of the various i...

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A magnified view of the Durango and Rio Grande Railroad lines. The Durango rail is represented by a black line with white dots, while the Rio Grande is red with white dots. Major cities like Colorado Springs, Denver, and Durango are bold, while surrounding cities are smaller in size.

Map of the Month: June 2022

Our June Map of the Month is a 1905 “Map of the Denver & Rio Grande System” depicting the extent of the Denver and Rio Grande Railroad at the time as well as its connecting lines and variation in ...

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Historic map depicting Northern Mexico, Baja California, and parts of Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, and Louisiana Territory

Map of the Month: December 2021

Our December Map of the Month is this French map titled “New Mexico, with the Northern Part of Old, Or New Spain”. Among the oldest maps in our collection, this map was made by Rigobert Bonne and was ...

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A hand-drawn view of the Grand Canyon from the Transept.

ASU News: How cartography helped the Grand Canyon become grand

View the full ASU News Article, How cartography helped the Grand Canyon become grand, written by Lauren Whitby, and published on September 28, 2021, at the following URL: https://news.asu.edu/20210928...

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An image of the current map of the month, a French map of the Colorado river from 1844.

Map of the Month: June 2021

Our June Map of the Month is this 1844 Plan de l'embouchure du Rio Colorado dans la Mer Vermeille (English title: Plan from the Mouth of Rio Colorado in the Ruddy Sea). It is a French survey of the mo...

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Pilot Chart of the Great Lakes

Map of the Month – March 2021

Our March 2021 Map of the Month is this 1897 Pilot Chart of the Great Lakes by J.E. Craig and A.C. Roberts. It includes a detailed navigational map of the lakes as well as a variety of information on ...

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A section of the map focusing on the central portion of the state. The county names, Maricopa, Gila, Graham, and Greenlee, are written in bold and are positioned in the center of their respective location. A bold red boundary outlines county-lines. Segments of the map, including the Fort Apache, White Mountain, Salt River, and Gila River indigenous reservations are outlined and filled with yellow. Counties colored with a green boundary represent national forests.

Map of the Month – February 2021

On February 14, 1912, the Territory of Arizona became a state at the end of one of the most complex journeys to statehood in American history. To celebrate Arizona’s statehood anniversary, February’s ...

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