Nature has been exceptionally favorable to Missouri. Its central location, navigable waterways and variable terrain brought settlers from every part of the country and from Europe as well. Missouri witnessed some of the earliest settlements by the French and Dutch explorers who encouraged countrymen to occupy the land merely to keep the British out. In fact, in 1798 Daniel Boone was offered a thousand arpents of land if he would move to Missouri and bring new settlers with him. Boone agreed and his group settled in 1798 in what is now the area of St. Charles County.

The early years of the 19th century witnessed a massive surge in the population of Missouri. In just over fifteen years between 1804 and 1821, the population increased six fold, soaring from a meager 10,000 to a respectable 66,000. In the decades that followed, the Ohio-Mississippi-Missouri river system was developed along with the Cumberland Road to the Mississippi River. This opened the doors to thousands of new settlers who flocked to Missouri. The Civil War brought immigration to Missouri to a standstill, but not for long. No sooner had the guns fallen silent, than Europeans as well as pioneers from the prairie states of Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, and Iowa began flocking to Missouri once more. Cities and towns sprung up quickly along the Missouri River, swelling the states population to well over 2, 670,000 by 1890.

The brilliantly executed maps in this historic CD showcase several cities in Missouri during this phase of mass immigration.

Sample thumbnails taken from the collection. Click on image to view larger picture.

CONTENTS:

This CD is brimming with 41 exquisitely crafted antique maps of cities in Missouri, drawn between 1860 and 1895. These maps go beyond being mere scaled-down drawings of cities. They are detailed accounts of cities complete with the minutest detail, including cows grazing in the fields. The aerial perspectives and panoramas of several cities are especially fascinating and riveting.

EDITORIAL REVIEW:

Maps are an essential component of the geography and history of a place. While modern maps are characterized by unprecedented accuracy made possible by ultra-sensitive gadgetry, early cartographers had to make do with whatever means were available to them. Often these tools were pretty meager and even crude in comparison to today’s high-tech contraptions.

What early maps lacked in accuracy, the cartographers made up for by making each map a work of exquisite beauty and art. Almost all such maps were suitable for use as decorations in the home or office. Many early maps (made before 1820) were printed on handmade rag paper, often hand colored with lovely old pigments and sometimes embellished with gracefully engraved illustrations of ships, monsters and elaborately costumed figures.

The maps on this CD were made towards the end of the 19th century and hence are unique in that they show characteristics of both early maps and the more modern ones to follow. Simply put, they are symbolic of the progress made in cartography at the end of the Civil War. Drawn to scale, these maps are replete with details of buildings, roads and railways. Moreover, several maps offer an aerial perspective of the city, which is both refreshing and surprising, given the period in which these maps were drawn. Above all, these maps encapsulate the history of the Missouri cities in a lucid and unmistakable style.

The maps on this CD carry a magical charm that you cannot ignore. I felt greatly rewarded by the examination of these masterpieces, and if you are a connoisseur of art, a student of history or an architectural scholar, so will you.

CUSTOMER'S REVIEWS:

"I recall reading somewhere that the joy and lure of collecting old maps lies in owning an item of artistic and scientific antiquity combing art, mathematics, geography, history and often mythology and fantasy, produced in limited numbers by individual craftsmen and artisans. I cannot agree more with this view - especially now, when I am experiencing such joy myself. This CD is truly a collector’s item and needs to be made a part of every collection of historic CDs. Thanks A2ZCDS You made my day."

Customer's Name: Bruce Jensen (Ann Arbor, Michigan)