County Map of Ohio, and Indiana.

County map of Ohio and Indiana published shortly before the start of the Civil War.

This attractive map of Ohio and Indiana was published in Philadelphia in 1860 by Samuel Augustus Mitchell. Mitchell was one of the most prominent American mapmakers of the 19th century and initially got involved with cartography as a school teacher who was frustrated with the quality of available maps. He collaborated with skilled engravers and produced high-quality maps and atlases that contained the most up-to-date information available. Mitchell’s son would take over the business after his death in 1860 and continue the tremendous output.

His attention to detail is evident within the image, which provides an informative snapshot of the Hoosier and Buckeye States shortly before the outbreak of the Civil War. Counties are colored in a distinctive hue and finely engraved lines label an interesting variety of place names, geographic features, and other locations of interest. A robust transportation network of roads, canals, and railroads is shown throughout the image, including routes under construction. The two Midwestern states are largely flat, thus omitting the need for topographic detail.