An uncommon and detailed map of Colorado issued by the General Land Office shortly after the Civil War to show the distribution of mineral deposits (including gold), the progress of government land surveys, and the latest division of the territory into land parcels. Gold, silver, copper, iron, and coal deposits are marked, as are gulch diggings for gold. The route of the Pacific Railroad across the territory is shown, but no other roads or railroads are marked. Much of the territory is yet to be surveyed or apportioned into parcels for homesteaders.

The maps issued by the General Land Office were usually functional documents used for legal and bureaucratic purposes such as allocating land to homesteaders, the sale of property and the settlement of legal disputes. They were also used to indicate the extent of geographical knowledge of the United States and to catalogue the possible mineral resources of unsettled parts of the country.

This particular example is unusual in that it has been coloured and backed on linen. Usually General Land Office maps, due to their status as government documents, were left black and white and were printed on thin, inexpensive paper. The special treatment accorded to this example suggests it may have had some promotional function; possible as a show piece for a retailer of the maps or possibly as part of the collection of an ambassadorial library abroad which could be used to encourage immigration into the United States.

Original colour. Laid on linen. [USA9891]