Lithographed map, hand-colored. Lithographed by Grafton T. Brown. 85.2x68.6 cm (33½x27 "), folding into original embossed leather covers with large paper label lettered in gilt on front cover, 15.8x10.5 cm (6¼x4").
The first separate map of Humboldt County, a brightly colored example, quite rare. OCLC/WorldCat locates only seven copies, just two of which are west of the Mississippi, at U.C. Berkeley and U.C. Davis. The map is described in California 49, as "based on surveys of the United States Coast Survey, the United States General Land Office and personal observations. The whole of the county is divided into a rectangular grid laid out by the surveys of the General Land Office...that was used from northwestern Ohio westward... The map provides a wealth of information: towns, roads and trails, land ownership, gas and oil lands, Army forts and camps, and the topography by hachures. A lengthy history of the county is at the right. A table displays the record of agricultural productivity from 1860 to 1864. The street plans of the two principal towns, Arcata and Eureka, are provided..." This is the Streeter copy of the map, with small TWS bookplate on the inside of the front cover, and is accompanied by a handwritten missive from Edward Eberstadt and Sons to Streeter from 1949, "Night Bulletin form the Eberstadtian Quotation Department," describing the map with the columns of printed text, and noting that "Both the map and the text are of the greatest interest. Don's seem to recall this map; do you?" The price quoted is $100. Warren Heckrotte provides an interesting comment: "Although not noted in literature this is one of the earliest maps of a part of California to show gas and oil deposits. The map which appeared in Silliman's pamphlet, 1865, on oil deposits in the Santa Barbara area is usually said to be the first, but I think in ignorance of Doolittle's map."
Provenance: Goodspeeds, 10/72
References: Streeter 2897. California 49, map 37 (Rep).