- Title: MAP OF THE UNITED STATES AND MEXICO | Complied from the latest Authorities
- Author: Col. Carlos Butterfield
- Date: December, 1860
- Condition: Very good - minimal paper loss and some separations at folds. Heavy creasing throughout
- Inches: 31 x 28 [Image]
- Centimeters: 78.74 x 71.12 [Image]
- Product ID: 308522
An exceptionally scarce map of the United States, specifically produced to highlight the proposed overland stagecoach and steamship routes advocated by Carlos Butterfield. This map appears in the second edition of Butterfield’s rare work, "United States and Mexico. Commerce, Trade, and Postal Facilities Between the Two Countries. Statistics of Mexico". Unique to this edition, the map focuses on the burgeoning network of railroads and postal routes that would traverse the continent.
It visually details the established overland mail and stage routes throughout the United States and delineates several projected paths for the transcontinental railroad, including early western rail lines already in operation. The map further features two informative tables: one enumerating mail steamship routes and another recording distances to principal commercial ports worldwide.
Of note, the map presents Arizona—displayed as a region beneath New Mexico but not explicitly labeled—and depicts an early configuration of Dakota Territory, also shown without a label.
Background on Creator
Colonel Carlos Butterfield was a 19th-century American entrepreneur and advocate for transcontinental transportation, best known for promoting the establishment of regular steamship and mail routes between the United States and Mexico. He played a significant role in advancing proposals for both overland stagecoach and steamship services, aiming to enhance economic and postal connectivity across North America and to international ports. Butterfield is particularly associated with the publication of a rare map and the book "United States and Mexico. Commerce, Trade, and Postal Facilities Between the Two Countries. Statistics of Mexico," which highlighted the strategic importance of these routes for commerce and communication between nations.
In addition to his commercial ventures, Butterfield was involved in the so-called "Butterfield Claims," a maritime dispute arising from the seizure of six of his ships by Denmark in 1854. These ships were intended for his planned mail steamship service, further emphasizing his commitment to improving transnational infrastructure. His advocacy and publications contributed to the eventual expansion and modernization of North American and transoceanic mail and transport networks.