Standard Atlas of Klickitat County Washington

Detailed atlas of Klickitat County, Washington from the early 1910s.

This incredible atlas provides a thorough overview of Klickitat County, Washington at the beginning of the 20th century. The county, located in the south-central part of the state, is bordered by the Columbia River to the south and includes a portion of the Cascade Mountains. The county seat is Goldendale. The atlas is comprised of 100 pages, the contents of which can be summarized as follows.

The original title page, table of contents, and index to illustrations are followed by a double-page outline map of Klickitat County. The image notes transportation routes, settlements, post offices, and geographic features. Over 70 maps follow (8 double-page and 56 single-page), covering cities, villages, settlements, and townships. The majority of these provide information on land ownership, property divisions, public areas (parks, cemeteries, etc.), and important buildings. The township maps are followed by double-page maps of Washington, the United States, and the world, all executed and published by George Cram.

Immediately afterward is a 10-page Patrons’ Reference Directory that names local residents and prominently promotes businesses throughout the community via contemporary advertisements. The directory presents the list of residents and business people who ‘subscribed’ to the publication of the atlas by providing funds up-front to defray the costs. This was a common method of publishing county atlases in the late-19th century and early 20th century. For a set fee, subscribers were among the first to receive the finished work and often had the opportunity to pay extra for custom additions. As a result, many examples of county atlases include portraits of individual patrons, views of personal residences and businesses, and even images of prize farm animals!

The atlas was compiled and published in Chicago by George A. Ogle & Co. in 1913.