Map of the Great Salt Lake and Adjacent Country in the State of Utah

The Great Salt Lake at the end of the 19th century.

This detailed survey of Utah’s Great Salt Lake was compiled by engineer Charles Mostyn-Owen and originally published in the 1899 Report of the United States Commissioner of Fish and Fisheries. The year prior, an effort was made to introduce commercial bivalve farming at the mouth of one or more of the freshwater rivers that feed the lake.

This map was designed to accompany the results of the experiment, which was largely a failure. Topography is depicted in hachure and depth soundings are noted throughout the lake. Settlements, transportation routes, and geographic features are individually labeled throughout, providing a fascinating snapshot of the region in the late 1890s.