Lithographed map of Boise Basin, etc., on sheet with plan of Owhyee Mines, and, at bottom, panoramic view of Buena Vista Bar and Idaho City. Slip of paper with printed key to 32 mines, mills, and ranches numbered on the Owhyee Mines plan pasted to the left of the plan. 38.5x43 cm (15¼x17").
Very uncommon map of the Idaho gold fields. Warren Heckrotte comments, "This map appeared in George Owens, A General Directory and Business Guide of the Principal Towns East of the Cascade Mountains, for the year 1865, San Francisco, 1865. Though folded my copy does not appear to have been bound in the book. This is a fine map and scarce or rare. The book is not found in the past major private collections of western Americana." The main map shows the region of southwest Idaho including a portion of eastern Oregon. It extends to include Ruby City and Silver City in the southwest, the ferry on the Payette River at the Oregon/Idaho border, and east to include Idaho City, Rocky Bar, and beyond to show the "Salt Lake Road". The map locates and names the Boise and Ruby City Road, the Humboldt Road, the Emigrant Road, numerous trails, Gold Mines, ranches, rivers and general topography.
Provenance: Old World Auctions, 6/8/05
References: W-TW 1127 (R). The book, Howes O-171, enl ed. Bancroft, History of Idaho, Chapter 2, in vol 31 of his Works gives the early history of this area. He also copies the main map and the inset to illustrate the text - without attribution.The view is not listed in Reps.