Central Pacific Railroad Photographic History Museum


1861 Steel Engravings & Lithographed Maps
41st Parallel: Utah, Nevada and California


In 1853, the U.S. Congress authorized the Corps of Topographic Engineers to undertake a survey of potential rail routes between the Mississippi River and the Pacific Ocean.  The lithographs below are illustrations from the report of the survey at the 38th and 39th parallels under the leadership of Captain John W. Gunnison*, assisted by Lt. Edward G. Beckwith, who surveyed routes in Kansas, Colorado and Utah.  Gunnison, Richard  H. Kern, topographer and artist to the expedition, and seven others were killed in October, 1853 by Ute Indians along the Sevier River in Utah.  Beckwith assumed leadership and the survey explored routes at the 41st parallel which Beckwith (and Gunnison before him) recommended as an economical and practicable route.   Although this suggestion had little influence at the time of the survey, the first transcontinental railroad completed in 1869, when the Union Pacific and the Central Pacific Railroads were joined at Promontory Point, Utah, basically followed Beckwith's route.
The steel engravings below were produced from the precisely detailed drawings of Frederick W. Egloffstein who joined the survey at Salt Lake City in the spring of 1854 when Beckwith resumed the expedition.

 
MAP 1: UTAH
from the Green River
to Salt Lake		 Humboldt Pass MAP 2: UTAH
and NEVADA		 Franklin Valley
 Large Picture  Large Picture  Large Picture  Large Picture

 
Valley of the Humboldt River
PANORAMA B
associated with MAP 3		 Valley of the Mud Lakes
PANORAMA C
associated with MAP 3
 Large Picture  Large Picture

 
MAP 3: NEVADA
fr Humboldt Mts
to Mud Lakes		 Madelin Pass
PANORAMA D
associated with Map 4		 West end of
Madelin Pass
 Large Picture  Large Picture  Large Picture

 
Northern Slopes of the Sierra Nevada
PANORAMA E
associated with Map 4		 MAP 4: From the Valley of the Mud Lakes to the
Sacramento River Valley		 Portion of the Main Mountain Passage.
Mt.Shasta in the distance
 Large Picture   Large Picture   Large Picture 


Additional  USPRR Scenic Engravings:
Spanish Peaks Viewed from near the Cuchara River, north of the peaks, August 6, 1853 Colorado
Sangre de Cristo Pass (#1) Looking northeast from camp north of Summit, August 11, 1853 Colorado
Sangre de Cristo Pass (#2) From near the Summit, looking down Gunnison's Creek, August, 1853 Colorado
Fort Massachusetts At the foot of the Sierra Blanca, Valley of San Luis, August, 1853 Colorado
Sangre de Cristo Pass (#3) Looking towards San Luis Valley Bald Peaks in the distant left - Sierra Blanca in the distant right
Peaks of the Sierra Blanca From near Fort Massachusetts August, 1843
Cochetopa Pass Looking up Sahwatch [Saguache] Creek, September 1st, 1853 Colorado
COLORADO GUNNISON Riv Canyon: 1855 USPRR Lithograph
1855/1861 USPRR MAP: Kansas & Colorado
COLORADO Ravines GUNNISON RIV 1855 USPRR Lithograph
COLORADO south of GUNNISON R. 1855 USPRR Lithograph
COLORADO Gunnison River Canyons 1855 USPRR lithograph
UTAH Roan or Book Mountains: 1855 USPRR lithograph
UTAH Rock Hills: 1855 USPRR lithograph
1855/1861 USPRR MAP: COLORADO UTAH Gunnison
COLORADO GUNNISON River view 1855 USPRR Lithograph
UTAH Rock Hills: 1855 USPRR lithograph
UTAH Weber River Canyon: 1861 USPRR engraving
UTAH Sheeprock Canyon Weber River 1861 USPRR
UTAH Porcupine Terraces Bear River 1861 USPRR
UTAH Timpanogos River Round Prairie 1861 USPRR
1861 USPRR MAP: UTAH Green River to Salt Lake
NEVADA Goshute Passage 1861 USPRR - PANORAMA
NEVADA Humboldt Pass: 1861 USPRR engraving
1861 USPRR MAP(2) UTAH & NEVADA, Goshute Pass
NEVADA Franklin Valley: 1861 USPRR engraving
NEVADA Humboldt Valley 1861 USPRR - PANORAMA
NEVADA Mud Lakes: 1861 USPRR engraving - PANORAMA
1861 USPRR MAP #3 - NEVADA Humboldt River
CALIFORNIA Madelin Pass 1861 USPRR - PANORAMA
CALIFORNIA West Madelin Pass: 1861 engraving USPRR
CALIFORNIA Sierra Nevada: 1861 USPRR PANORAMA
CALIFORNIA Mount SHASTA Pitt River: USPRR engraving
CALIFORNIA Madelin Pass 1861 USPRR - PANORAMA


*John W. "Gunnison graduated from West Point, 2nd in the Class of 1837. 2nd Lieut, 2nd Artillery, July 1, 1837. Served in the Florida War as Ordnance Officer, 1837-38: in the Cherokee Nation, 1838 while emigrating the Indians to the West. 2nd Lieut, Topographical Engineers, July 7, 1838. Surveyed Lake Michigan, 1841-42 and North-western Lakes, 1842-49. Explorations in Utah and Survey of Great Salt Lake, Utah, 1849-51. Captain, Top. Engineers, Mar 3, 1853 for 14 years continuous service. Surveyed Central Route or Railroad from the Mississippi River to the Pacific Ocean, 1853. Massacred, Oct. 26, 1853 near Sevier Lake, Utah, aged 42, with seven of his exploring party, by a band of Mormons and Parvante Indians, his body being pierced by seventeen arrows, and otherwise horribly mutilated."

TEXT OF THE BECKWITH REPORT
(Utah-Nevada-California)




Courtesy of William Husson.
panzoom

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