This copy is copyright protected.
Copyright © 2025 Geographicus Rare Antique Maps
1876 Bechler Map of Yampa and White River Basins, Northwestern Colorado
YampaWhiteRivers-bechler-1876$400.00
Title
Map of the Country Between Yampa and White Rivers (For General Reference) to accompany the Report of Gust. R. Bechler.
1876 (dated) 16.75 x 39.5 in (42.545 x 100.33 cm) 1 : 200000
1876 (dated) 16.75 x 39.5 in (42.545 x 100.33 cm) 1 : 200000
Description
A large format 1876 map of a portion of northwestern Colorado and northeastern Utah, prepared to accompany a report by Gustavus Bechler that appeared in the Tenth Annual Report of the United States Geological and Geographical Survey of the Territories.... The northern portion of this map overlaps with today's Dinosaur National Monument.
A Closer Look
Covering an area between Wonsits Valley and Yellowjacket Pass in the basins of the Yampa, White, and Green Rivers, this map depicts a portion of northwestern Colorado and northeastern Utah. This northern portion of the Colorado Plateau mostly consists of high desert, containing many interesting and beautiful rock formations. The focus is on waterways, which are well-surveyed, while trails, wagon roads, peaks (with elevation), plateaus, bains, and other features are also noted. The area at top is now largely within Dinosaur National Monument, where many fossils were found in the 20th century.The White River Agency
Much of the land seen here was inhabited by Native Americans at the time of surveying, and even today, the large Uintah and Ouray Reservation lies nearby. The White River Agency, seen towards the right, was established in 1862 to liaise with the Uncompahgre Band of Ute Indians. However, as often was the case with Indian agents, the presence of the agents caused more dissension rather than less. In 1879, soon after this map's preparation, a group of Ute men killed the Indian agent and burned down the post, which was never rebuilt. In retaliation, the U.S. government removed the local native population to the Uintah Valley some 140 miles to the west, the basis for the reservation mentioned above.Publication History and Census
This map was prepared by Gustavus Bechler, with surveying by Goerge Chittenden and S. B. Ladd, and appeared as Plate XXIX to accompany Bechler's contribution to the Tenth Annual Report of the United States Geological and Geographical Survey of the Territories..., edited by Ferdinand Vandeveer Hayden, published in 1878. It was printed by the American Photo-Lithographic Company, using its distinctive 'Osborne Process' (discussed below). The map is independently cataloged with the Colorado School of Mines and the British Library, while the entire report is more widely distributed.CartographerS
Gustavus R. Bechler (fl. c. 1856 - 1878) was a surveyor and cartographer best known for his work with the U.S. Geological and Geographical Survey of the Territories (USGGST), led by Ferdinand Vandeveer Hayden. He appears to have gotten his start producing maps of counties in Pennsylvania, New York, and Michigan. During the U.S. Civil War, he drew several impressive, large-scale maps of highlighting battles and campaigns. Virtually nothing is known of Bechler's biographical details, despite being one of the more prolific members of USGGST, acting as chief topographer on Hayden's expedition to Yellowstone. The scant notes referring to him by other members of the survey suggest that he was skilled but difficult to work with. The Bechler River in Yellowstone National Park is named for him. More by this mapmaker...
George B. Chittenden (December 25, 1849 - February 24, 1939) was a topographer and surveyor who worked for the U.S. Geological and Geographical Survey of the Territories, precursor to the U.S. Geological Survey. Born and raised in Connecticut, Chittenden attended Yale University and trained as a civil engineer. Upon graduation, he joined the U.S. Geological and Geographical Survey of the Territories and from 1873 to 1876 surveyed the Colorado Territory. In 1877, he surveyed portions of the Wyoming and Idaho Territories. Soon afterwards, he was diagnosed with rheumatism, precluding further fieldwork in the American West. Instead, he and his brother established an engineering firm in Washington, D.C. Learn More...
Ferdinand Vandeveer Hayden (September 7, 1829 - December 22, 1887) was an American geologist remembered for leading late 19th century pioneering surveying expedition in the Rocky Mountains and served as a doctor in the Union Army during the U.S. Civil War. Born in Westfield, Massachusetts, and discovered a fascination with nature and wildlife in his youth. He studied at Oberlin College and graduated in 1850, then attended the Albany Medical College and earned his degree in 1853. While at Albany, Hayden garnered the attention of Professor James Hall, then the state geologist of New York. Professor Hall convinced Hayden to join an expedition to the Nebraska Territory, where he collected fossils and studied geology. He accompanied expeditions led by Gouverneur K. Warren in 1856 and 1857 and the Raynolds Expedition of 1860 led by Captain William F. Raynolds. He served as an army surgeon during the U.S. Civil War and rose to become the chief medical officer of the Army of the Shenandoah. After the war, Hayden resumed working on geologic and geographic surveys in the Nebraska and Western Territories and was appointed geologist-in-chief of the United States Geological and Geographical Survey of the Territories in 1867. Hayden led the first federally funded geological survey into the Yellowstone Region in northwestern Wyoming in 1871 under orders from Secretary of the Interior Columbus Delano. The expedition included fifty men, including painter Thomas Moran and Civil War photographer William Henry Jackson. Hayden's report on the expedition, Preliminary Report of the United State Geological Survey of Montana and Portions of Adjacent Territories; Being a Fifth Annual Report of Progress played an instrumental role in persuading Congress to establish Yellowstone as the first U.S. National Park. Learn More...
American Photo-Lithographic Company (1866 - c. 1884) was a Brooklyn, New York based lithography house active in the late 19th century. By the 1870s they had relocated to Fulton Street, in Manhattan. Early on, the firm was best known for its use of the Osborne Process, an economical photo-mechanical technique for making lithographic plates invented by Irish-Australian John Walter Osborne (1828 - 1902). Osborne may have been the owner or one of the co-founders of the American Photo-Lithographic Company, as he certainly had moved to New York City by this time to market his technique. He is known to have worked for the American Photo-Lithographic Company in both New York and Washington D.C - but the relationship remains unclear. Later the embraced other more advanced printing techniques. By 1877, the firm opened an annex office in Boston under Clement Drew, which it retained until 1879. We have identified no work by the American Photo-Lithographic Company postdating 1884. The firm should not be confused with the American Lithographic Company, which was founded by 1892. Learn More...
The United States Geological Survey (1878 - Present), aka the U.S.G.S., is a scientific agency of the United States government, which was founded in 1879. USGS scientists study the landscape of the United States, its natural resources, and the natural hazards that threaten it. The organization has four major science disciplines: biology, geography, geology, and hydrology. It is a bureau of the United States Department of the Interior and is the department's only scientific agency. Learn More...
Source
Hayden, F. V., Tenth Annual Report of the United States Geological and Geographical Survey of the Territories..., (Washington, D.C.: Government Printing Office) 1878.
Condition
Good. Mild toning and verso stabilization along a few old fold lines.
References
OCLC 182626560, 558093457.