1904 Scarborough Map of New Hampshire

This is a 1904 Scarborough Company map of New Hampshire. Scarborough maps are widely admired for their boldly distinctive typography, and New Hampshire is among the rarest in the series. The map includes insets illustrating current events: the Russo-Japanese War and the construction of the Panama Canal. Although unfolding far from New Hampshire, their inclusion here is no error and underscores the state's global maritime connections out of Portsmouth. Scarborough maps are much admired for their bold distinctive typography.

A Closer Look

Coverage embraces New Hampshire in detail including road and train connections to adjacent states. Towns, townships, and counties are noted along with lakes, rivers, hills, and other physical features. Several indexes appear to the left and right, listing New Hampshire's cities, towns, counties, and principal natural features. A graph illustrating population and manufacturing statistics occupies the upper right.

Two inset maps along the right border highlight the major news events of 1904. The larger illustrates eastern Asia, specifically Japan, Korea, and eastern China and Russia. At the time, the Russo-Japanese War (1904 - 1905) was raging. The second smaller inset map focuses on the Panama Canal. Construction began on the Panama Canal on May 4, 1904 and was a topic of worldwide interest. Here, the maps illustrate how the canal planned to connect the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, its route across Panama, and the route's profile. A chart in the lower left underscores the projected shorter transit routes between New York, New Orleans, San Francisco, and Liverpool.

Publication History and Census

This map was created and published by the Scarborough Company in 1904. We note three examples cataloged in OCLC: Boston Public Library, the New Hampshire State Library, and Duke University.