HAND-BOOK TO KANSAS TERRITORY AND THE ROCKY MOUNTAINS' GOLD REGION; Accompanied by Reliable Maps and a Preliminary Treatise on the Pre-Emption Laws of the United States by Redpath, James and Richard J. Hinton - 1859

New York: J.H. Colton, Publisher, 1859. First Edition. Hardcover. Good. Perhaps the most ambitious guidebook of the 1859 group was the Hand-Book of Kansas Territory and Rocky Mountains' Gold Region by James Redpath and Richard J. Hinton, published in New York by J.H. Colton [...] The book was issued early in 1859, with news of the gold country only up to the middle of November, 1858 (Wagner-Camp No. 343). Of the contents of the book, Chapter I describes eastern Kansas, Chapter II is entitled 'How to get, and what to take to Kansas'; Chapter III is on 'Kansas Literature'; Chapter IV is on the counties and principal towns of Kansas; Chapter V discusses the Indians of the region; Chapter VI is on the counties and principal towns of Kansas; Chapter VII discusses the towns on the Missouri River in the state; Chapter VIII is on the interior towns of Kansas; Chapter IX is on the material and commercial resources of the state, and the first section closes with 'Advice to Emigrants.' The second section deals with the gold region of western Kansas and the routes to the gold bearing country. Interesting is a discussion of 'Proposed Territorial Organization' stating that Congress has before it proposals for Colona or Jefferson Territory. The Appendix deals with the preemption laws relating to Public Lands. Of the two large maps contained in this guide, the first is entitled 'Kansas and Nebraska' and extends only to the 99th meridian [...] Below this map is another, of the gold region and the routes leading to it, showing Montana, Denver City and Auroria (sic). The map extends west to the Great Salt Lake. The other map extends from the Niobrara River, on the north, to the Smoky Hill Fork and Pike's Peak, on the south, and from the junction of the Missouri and the Kansas at 94° 30' West Longitude, on the east, to Long's Peak, on the west. There is no detail of the gold region, but the words 'Gold Region' run along the South Fork of the Platte above and below the confluence of that stream with Cherry Creek" (Wheat, p.178-9). 177 p. with the preliminary publisher's advertisements and five additional advertisements at the rear; complete with the folding hand-colored engraved dual map of Nebraska and Kansas and the folding engraved military map of Kansas. 16mo. Original brown cloth binding, with gilt titles and decorative blind stamping. Some light toning to the maps, with a few small splits; each has a closed tear along a bottom seam. Faint stain to the top edge. The hinges are cracked, as usual; the binding is quite sound. Some general fading to the cloth. Graff 3437; Howes R120; Sabin 68526; Streeter 2131; Wagner-Camp 343; Wheat, Transmississippi West 4.