David Spilman Fine Books

Journal of an Exploring Tour Beyond the Rocky Mountains,; Under the Direction of the A. B. C. F. M. containing a Description of the Geography, Geology, Climate, Productions ... with a Map of Oregon Territory [1838 map, same as First Edition] [In the years 1835 to 1838]

Parker, Samuel (Rev. A. M.)

Ithaca: Andrus, Woodruff, and Gauntlett, et. al. 1844. Very Good. Fourth Edition. 12mo [8x5in]; xvi, [1]; 18-416, one map of the Oregon Territory 1838 [13.5x22.5in], one plate of Basaltic formations on Columbia River, appendix of meteorological table and languages; Dark brown cloth covers with gilt lettering on spine, blind stamped designs and borders on front and back, light blue endpapers, all edges trimmed; Shelf wear to covers, edges and corners with some rubbing to covers and edges, corners bumped and frayed, top edge of spine repaired, book label of H. E. M. Folts, Boston - 18 and No. 26, purple ink stamp of Authur L. Thomas, and book plate of Alexander Ramsey Thomas on front end papers. [Wagner-Camp 70:4, Graff 3194, Wheat Trans-Maps 438]. Item #14320

Samuel Parker (1779-1866) was a Presbyterian missionary to the Pacific Northwest and operated under the American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions (A.B.C.F.M.). Parker traveled with Marcus Whitman, a physician and missionary, as part of the annual American Fur Company resupply to the Oregon Territory. Whitman returned east from the Green River rendezvous and Parker continued on to Forts Walla Walla and Vancouver on the Columbia River. While in Vancouver, as a guest of the Hudson Bay Company, he explored the Willamette and lower Columbia Valleys for missionary sites and preached to the natives. In 1837 he returned to the east coast by ship through the Hawaiian Islands and around Cape Horn. He made detailed personal observations and published a Journal of his three year tour in 1838. He was also a keen observer of the landscape and sketched one of the earliest reliable maps of the interior of the Oregon Territory. Wagner-Camp quotes from Field's "An Essay towards an Indian Bibliography", that "... commends Parker's journal: 'In all the qualities which a historian would require, it has few equals' ". This fourth edition has been revised, corrected and enlarged from the 1838 edition

From Wheat, Samuel Parker's "Map of the Oregon Territory" of 1838 [M. M. Peabody, Engvr, Ithaca, NY] represented a real advance, and was made from personal observation." and "...[the] map had wide circulation, and was a notable achievement." From Wagner-Camp, "Parker's map was one of the earliest to circulate widely and to provide reliable information about the interior of Oregon Territory." Along with Parkers personal observations, the map's "... westerly portion was taken from Vancouver's chart, the middle part after Parker's own observation, the north from sketches of Samuel Black, and the south from those of Jedediah Smith." This map was important to the start of the Oregon trail emigration in the 1840's. Along with the Wilkes 1841 map, it was used to support the United States border claim of the Oregon Territory much farther north (the rally cry of "Fifty-four Forty or Fight") than the 1846 treaty established it at 49th parallel.

The book label of H. E. M. Folts, Boston is likely Harriette E. M. Folts, the wife of Dr. Daniel Folts. This may have also been her Private Circulating Library, which were popular at the time.

One of the prior owners of this book was Arthur Lloyd Thomas (1851-1924). He was a federal civil career officer and was the 14th Territorial Governor of Utah from 1889 to 1893. When Utah became a state, Arthur ran for Governor. After losing the election, he was appointed as the Utah Postmaster from 1898 to 1914. He was a collector of books about western expansion and exploration with an interest in human development and expanding civilization. The bookplate of Alexander Ramsey Thomas (1883-1946) is from the early 1900's and was a long time book collector, following in his father's passion for books. Alexander became an attorney and moved in 1913 to Mendocino County in California to practice law.

Price: $350.00