1836 Washington Irving Map of the Pacific Northwest w/ Routes of Hunt and Stuart

A map of great historical importance, this is Washington Irving's scarce 1836 map detailing Wilson P. Hunt's 1810 westward trip from St. Louis, Missouri, to Astor's newly founded trading post Astoria at the mouth of the Columbia River, in present-day Washington state, and Robert Stuart's subsequent return trip from Astoria to St. Louis. This map shows the American West from the confluence of the Missouri and Mississippi Rivers to the Pacific Coast, including the modern-day states of Washington, Oregon, Missouri, Nebraska, Wyoming and Idaho. Hunt's expedition only postdated the Louisiana Purchase by seven years, so no state boundaries are included on this map. The map details the routes takes by both Hunt and Stuart, which are labeled and are easily traced. The river system is extensively detailed, with the Missouri River dominating the map. The Yellowstone River (Yellow Stone), Big Horn River, Snake River, Platte River, Colorado River, and Columbia River are also shown in detail, along with their tributaries. The map identifies several mountain ranges, including the Rocky Mountains and the California Mountains, as well as several other smaller ranges. The Great Salt Lake, identified as Lake Bonneville, is also included. Three settlements are labeled on the map: Astoria, Arikaras, and Omaha. According to Carl Wheat

This map makes no pretense at overall geographical coverage, but for what it purports to be it is an excellent map. It has been suggested that Irving was mistaken as to some details of the Astorians' routes, and this would not be surprising. However, the map is reasonably accurate, and is an important milestone of western mapping.

Both Hunt and Stuart worked for the nascent Pacific Fur Company. Founded by John Jacob Astor in 1810, the Pacific Fur Company was designed to directly compete with the English Hudson Bay Company and the Northwest Company. Astor sent two expeditions to the Pacific Northwest, one by sea on the Tonquin, and another by land, led by Hunt. The Tonquin arrived in spring 1811 and built Fort Astoria at the mouth of the Columbia River, which became the first American owned settlement on the Pacific coast. The Pacific Fur Company operated out of Fort Astoria until 1813, when the War of 1812 caused the company to close, and sell the fort and all other assets to the Montreal based Northwest Company. This map shows three of the major waypoints along Hunt's expedition. The first is Omaha, identified as the Omaha 'Big Village' where Hunt's expedition spent a few days trading with the Omaha and gathering supplies for their expedition. The second is Arikaras, where the expedition left the Missouri River and began traveling overland. Here they procured much needed horses for their expedition from the Arikara tribe. The last is Astoria, on the Pacific coast at the mouth of the Columbia River. This map portrays a critical time in American history and is directly linked to the spread of American commerce and trade. Astoria was the first American-held settlement on the Pacific coast, and this map shows a critical part of that story.

This map was prepared for inclusion with the 1836 publication of Washington Irving's historical work, Astoria, or anecdotes of an enterprise beyond the Rocky Mountains. The historical significance of this map would make it an incredible addition to any collection.