The maps of Michigan [#9], Missouri [#10], Florida [#11], and Wisconsin [#12] are from the 1874 Asher & Adams Commercial and Statistical Gazetteer of the United States, which, as one of the earliest atlases to place a greater importance on railroad routes than topographical detail, is arguably the most important work of the Asher & Adams publishing firm. The atlas was produced the year after the Panic of 1873, during which many railroad companies failed after heavy over-investment in new rail lines. The construction of new lines, a significant part of the national economy since the Civil War, plummeted after the panic.
Based in New York City, John R. Asher and George H. Adams were highly reputable mapmakers during the 1860s and 1870s, producing large and colorful maps known for their meticulous depictions of railroads. Stylistically, their maps are similar to those of the J.H. Colton Company, which was the leading commercial producer of railroad maps during the mid-nineteenth century. Unlike the J.H. Colton Company, however, which produced maps of a wider variety of locations, Asher & Adams specialized in maps of the states and counties.
9. Asher & Adams, Asher & Adams’ Michigan, 1874
Story Collection
https://oshermaps.org/map/3078
Statehood: 1837
Fun Fact: Michigan has the most lighthouses of any state.
10. Asher & Adams, Asher & Adams’ Missouri, 1874
Story Collection
https://oshermaps.org/map/4789
Statehood: 1821
Fun Fact: Missouri has an official state grape variety, the Norton/Cynthiana grape.
11. Asher & Adams, Asher & Adams’ Florida, 1874
Story Collection
https://oshermaps.org/map/4782
Statehood: 1845
Fun Fact: The world’s largest collection of fossilized poop resides in the South Florida Musuem.
12. Asher & Adams, Asher & Adams’ Wisconsin, 1874
Story Collection
https://oshermaps.org/map/4784
Statehood: 1848
Fun Fact: Green Bay, Wisconsin is regarded as the “Toilet Paper Capital” of the world.
