Township Map of the State of Maine with Adjoining Portions of Canada & New Brunswick

One of the finest maps of Maine published during the 19th century.

This fabulously detailed map of Maine was published by the firm of G.W. (George Woolworth) & C.B. (Charles B.) Colton & Co. in New York in 1894. The brothers succeeded their father, Joseph Hutchins Colton, in the family publishing business and were prolific mapmakers during the second half of the century. However, just four years after the map’s publication, the pair merged with August R. Ohman, who would drop the Colton name around 1901.

The image presents a detailed overview of The Pine Tree State at the end of the 19th century. A robust transportation network of roads and railroads is concentrated in the south. Townships are vibrantly highlighted in bright hues and assigned either a number or name, with designated school tracts noted where applicable. Interesting text identifies historic treaty lines, indigenous pronunciations for certain geographic features, and local industries like mills and taverns.

Topography is depicted with simple hachures and numerous mountain peaks are labeled, occasionally with their corresponding elevation in feet. Of particular interest are the White Mountains in nearby New Hampshire. The area was such a popular tourist destination that the design of the decorative border was interrupted to include it within the image! Also included are portions of the Canadian provinces of Quebec and New Brunswick, emblematic of the high volume of trade that occurred throughout the region by both rail and water.

Source: Osher Map Library