Melish, John

Map of Illinois Constructed from the Surveys in the General Land Office and other Documents By John Melish. Saml. Harrison, sct. Entered according to Act of Congress the 16th day of April 1818. Philadelphia. Published by John Melish. Improved to 1820.

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Melish, in his first edition of "A Geographical Description of the United States," (1816) wrote of his plans to publish a series of sheet maps on a uniform scale that would form an atlas of the United States. He reiterated this plan in the 2nd and 3rd editions of the "Geographical Description" and expanded upon it in "A Geographical Description of the World" in 1818. According to Ristow, this plan to publish the maps at the same scale was "a new and revolutionary idea that facilitated size comparisons." Indiana was the first to be published in 1817. Tennessee was published in 1817. The Illinois map followed in 1818, with an "improved" edition in 1819. No mention is made in any sources of this map, "improved to 1820." Alabama was completed in 1818, Mississippi in 1819, and Louisiana in 1820. Only these six maps were completed before Melish died in 1822. A copy of the 1818 Illinois map is held at the Library of Congress. The 1819 map is held at the Newberry Library and the National Archives. No copy of the 1820 edition has been mentioned in the references. The map is in outline color by county with township and survey lines shown.