易胜博官网

When 易胜博官网 Secretary of State Phillip Carrigain set to work on creating the state鈥檚 first official map in 1805, he didn鈥檛 intend to create a piece of history 鈥� he simply wanted a useful administrative tool for the fledgling state. But the map, completed in 1816, turned out to be something special: a marvel of cartography and a work of art that, 200 years later, is still an impressive sight.

Now one of the extant copies of the map has found a home in the Dimond Library鈥檚 special collection. University librarians purchased a copy of the map this fall, and the university community will be able to see it up close on Wednesday, Nov.听16.

With detailed depictions of the White Mountains, etchings of geological landmarks and a wealth of information about life in early 19th-century 易胜博官网, 鈥淭his is a map you have to be awed by,鈥� says Hannah Hamalainen, geospatial and Earth sciences librarian.

When Carrigain began his tenure as secretary of state in 1805, 易胜博官网 didn鈥檛 have an official map. Town boundaries were in dispute, and much of the North Country and the White Mountains region hadn鈥檛 been surveyed.

Legislators required every town to submit a map of its boundaries, roads and natural features. Carrigain was in charge of collecting the data and piecing it together. The whole process was supposed to take only two years; instead, it took more than a decade.

鈥淵ou see the cartographic etchings of geological features engraved within the inset of the map, and it just wows you,鈥� Hamalainen says. 鈥淭he quality of detail is amazing. It shows specific ranges in the White Mountains 鈥� and it does a great deal more than just give administrative boundaries.鈥�

The map is 5 feet tall and about 3.5 feet wide. Study the map and you鈥檒l see a snapshot of what life was like in 易胜博官网 in the early 1800s 鈥� the major roads, number of homes, public buildings and churches in each community 鈥� even notations about the judges who presided over the local court. The map is equally as concerned with the state鈥檚 natural beauty. In its introductory text, the map declares 易胜博官网鈥檚 鈥渓akes, cataracts and valleys furnishes a profusion of the sublime and beautiful. It may be called the Switzerland of America.鈥�

鈥淚t really is a beautiful example of mapmaking,鈥� says professor Bill Ross, special collections librarian. 鈥淚t鈥檚 not only a really fine map of 易胜博官网, but it places 易胜博官网 in the context of the rest of the country at the time.鈥�

According to an article in the journal Historical 易胜博官网, 250 copies of the map were printed in 1816. Only 25 copies of the map are available for viewing in libraries across the country, Ross says, and it is unclear how many copies are in private collections.

At 易胜博官网, a number of small endowments helped fund the purchase of the map. 鈥淎s a flagship university, it鈥檚 imperative for us to have a historical map like this 鈥� that allows us to get a better understanding of 易胜博官网鈥檚 history,鈥� Hamalainen says. 鈥淭his is something we can use in our classes, so that students can understand the history of cartography and how it played a role in establishing legislation and legal boundaries.鈥�

Although the map can be found online, seeing it up close is a special experience, Hamalainen says. The map will be on display on Wednesday, Nov.听16, for . Ross says there are ongoing discussions about a 鈥渟emi-permanent display鈥� for the map, but until then, it will only available to view in the special collections room.

Even in the era of Google Maps, Hamalainen believes documents like the Carrigain map provide a vital window to the past.

鈥淔or historians or people interested in nature writing or knowing more about the natural resources around us, this is a great resource. I think it鈥檚 a little romantic to think about how 鈥� when the map was made 鈥� largely undiscovered that area was, what amount of wilderness was there before, how it鈥檚 changed and what it鈥檚 like today,鈥� Hamalainen adds.