Engraved by G.W. Boynton with hand-colored outlines. Size: Approximately 36 cm x 29 cm (14.1 inches x 11.4 inches) Map Type: Atlas Superior condition. Taken from An Illustrated Atlas, Geographical, Statistical, And Historical, Of The United States And The Adjacent Countries.
T.G. Bradford served as an assistant editor of the America Encyclopedia before entering the field of atlas publishing with his first work published in 1835. G.W. Boynton operated an engraving shop in Boston between 1830 and 1845.
With the financial success of his 1835 A Comprehensive Atlas..., Bradford was able to update his maps, enlarge them and add a descriptive text to each. For map hungry Americans, these were attractive features to those interested in migrating during the burgeoning western expansion of the United States.
This map is from the 1st edition of An Illustrated Atlas....considered by most to be Bradford's best atlas, far superior to the smaller and more crudely drawn 1835 Comprehensive Atlas.
This early map of South Carolina displays the location of each county courthouse, along with the roads, rivers, creeks, lakes, and other topographical features. Indian villages and the location of the Catawba Indian Nation is noted. Many private ferries and canals are also identified.
Of particular note is the identification of several sites of importance in the American Revolution, including the Cowpens battleground in Spartanburg county, a U.S. Establishment near Rocky Mount, and Fort Motte (identified on the map as "Fort Mott") on the southern bank of the Santee river in northern Orangeburg county.
References: A List of Geographical Atlases in the Library of Congress, 1381, Phillips, P.L, Government Printing Office, Washington, 1909; Rumsey List No. 0089; American Maps and Mapmakers, p270-271, Ristow, George, Wayne State University Press, Detroit, 1985