www.itowler.com

I have always found maps interesting, and since I started working on my genealogy, they have become an important tool.  One of the maps that I have come across in my research is the 1876 Indiana State atlas.  It is a great atlas, but has become hard to find, and if you can find it, it is an expensive book to purchase.  The book was about 290 pages long, and it is bound in half leather black cloth covered boards.  The words "Illustrated Historical Atlas Of The State Of Indiana 1876" are stamped in gilt on the cover. Most of the maps are printed in full color, with a few being hand colored. 

The book was originally published in 1876 by Baskin, Forster and Company.  The title page reads:

Illustrated historical atlas of the State of Indiana. Published by Baskin, Forster & Co. Lakeside Building Chicago, Ills. 1876. Engraved & Printed by Chas. Shober & Co. Props. of Chicago Lithographing Co.

Interestingly enough, it appears that the author of the book / map is an Alfred Theodore Andreas.  According to the David Rumsey Historical Map Collection, Mr. Andreas was a "Hidden" author due to a bankruptcy issue.  I am not sure what happened, but it is an interesting little side note.  From what I gathered Mr. Andreas lived from 1839-1900.

The atlas has a few maps of the country, but mostly focuses on Indiana.  There are maps of the state, and detailed maps of each of the counties in the state at the time.  In addition some cities have a detailed map as well.  The great thing about this atlas now, is that it can be used with out having to worry about violating any copyright.  US copyright law protects anything that was published after 1926 or 1927, and this was published before that date (well before that date).  As such you can feel free to use the images, pages, and maps in any manner you see fit without breaking the law.  I was able to find someone who had digitized the entire atlas, and put the atlas on CD.  I pu

rchased the CD on Ebay for very little.

Its a great map, and I plan to post a few more blogs about some of the images that are in the atlas.  Look for those posts in the near future.

Ian