A beautiful 1855 first edition example of Colton's map of Nebraska and Kansas.   This is most probably the rarest and most desirable of all Colton atlas maps.  Based on earlier wall map produced by Colton and D. Griffing Johnson,  this map details the regions between the Great Salt Lake and Iowa and between the Canadian Border and New Mexico. Covers territorial Kansas and Nebraska as well as parts of adjacent Minnesota, Iowa, Missouri and Utah.  Shows Nebraska in its full territorial glory extending from the 40th parallel to the border British America or Canada.  This massive and ephemeral territory covered much of what is today Nebraska, Wyoming, Montana, Colorado, North Dakota and South Dakota.  Nearby Minnesota is also exceptionally large embracing all  of the territory between  Wisconsin and the Missouri River.  When this map was printed Nebraska and Kansas had only recently been opened for settlement.  Both regions were sparsely inhabited by the diverse yet powerful Indian nations of Comanches, Kioways, Arapahoes, Cheyennes, Sioux, Dacotahs, Poncas, Pawnee's, Omahas, Missouris, Delawares, Shawnee, Osages, Crow, Black, and others - whose territorial claims Colton notes.  Colton also notes three of the routes proposed for the Pacific Railroad, the Stevens route far to the north, the Beswith route running through the center of the map, and the Gunnison Route passing through Kansas.   This map further identifies various forts, rivers, mountain passes, fords, and an assortment of additional topographical detail.  Map is hand colored in pink, green, yellow and blue pastels to define territory and state boundaries.  Surrounded by Colton's typical spiral motif border.   Dated and copyrighted to J. H. Colton, 1855.  Published from Colton's 172 William Street Office in New York City.  Issued as page no. 50 in volume 1 of the first edition of George Washington Colton's  1855   Atlas of the World .
<ul><li><a href="//commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:1855_Colton_Map_of_Kansas_and_Nebraska_(first_edition)_-_Geographicus_-_NebraskaKansas-colton-1855.jpg" title="File:1855 Colton Map of Kansas and Nebraska (first edition) - Geographicus - NebraskaKansas-colton-1855.jpg">File:1855 Colton Map of Kansas and Nebraska (first edition) - Geographicus - NebraskaKansas-colton-1855.jpg</a>: <div class="commons-creator vcard"></div></li></ul><style data-mw-deduplicate="TemplateStyles:r728533443">.mw-parser-output .commons-creator-table{background-color:#f0f0ff;box-sizing:border-box;font-size:95%;text-align:start}.mw-parser-output .commons-creator-table>tbody>tr{vertical-align:top}.mw-parser-output .commons-creator-table>tbody>tr>th{background-color:#e0e0ee;font-weight:bold;text-align:start}@media(max-width:719px){.mw-parser-output .commons-creator-table,.mw-parser-output .commons-creator-table>tbody{display:block;width:100%}.mw-parser-output .commons-creator-table>tbody{border-right:1px solid #aaa;border-bottom:1px solid #aaa}.mw-parser-output .commons-creator-table>tbody>tr{border-top:1px solid #aaa;display:flex;flex-wrap:wrap}.mw-parser-output .commons-creator-table>tbody>tr>th{border-left:1px solid #aaa;padding:2px;flex:1 1 100%}.mw-parser-output .commons-creator-table>tbody>tr>td{border-left:1px solid #aaa;padding:2px;flex:1 1}}@media(min-width:720px){.mw-parser-output .commons-creator-table{border:1px solid #aaa;border-collapse:collapse;border-spacing:0;padding:5px}.mw-parser-output .commons-creator-table>tbody>tr>th,.mw-parser-output .commons-creator-table>tbody>tr>td{border:1px solid #aaa;padding:2px}.mw-parser-output .commons-creator-table>tbody>tr>.halfwidth{max-width:10em}.mw-parser-output .commons-creator-table>tbody>tr>.fullwidth{max-width:20em}}</style><table class="commons-creator-table mw-collapsible mw-collapsed mw-content-ltr" dir="ltr" lang="en"><tbody><tr><th colspan="4"><span class="fn" id="creator"><bdi><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/en:J._H._Colton" class="extiw" title="w:en:J. H. Colton"><span title="United-States geographer and mapmaker">J. H. Colton</span></a>
</bdi></span> (1800–1893) <a href="//commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Creator:Joseph_Hutchins_Colton" title="Creator:Joseph Hutchins Colton"><img alt="Blue pencil.svg" src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/7/73/Blue_pencil.svg/15px-Blue_pencil.svg.png" decoding="async" width="15" height="15" srcset="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/7/73/Blue_pencil.svg/23px-Blue_pencil.svg.png 1.5x, https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/7/73/Blue_pencil.svg/30px-Blue_pencil.svg.png 2x" data-file-width="600" data-file-height="600"></a> <a href="https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q6105865" title="wikidata:Q6105865"><img alt="wikidata:Q6105865" src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/ff/Wikidata-logo.svg/20px-Wikidata-logo.svg.png" decoding="async" width="20" height="11" srcset="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/ff/Wikidata-logo.svg/30px-Wikidata-logo.svg.png 1.5x, https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/ff/Wikidata-logo.svg/40px-Wikidata-logo.svg.png 2x" data-file-width="1050" data-file-height="590"></a> <div class="mw-collapsible-toggle mw-collapsible-toggle-collapsed"><span class="mw-collapsible-arrowtoggle"> </span></div></th>
</tr><tr><td rowspan="6" style="width:120px" id="fileinfotpl_creator_image"><span class="wpImageAnnotatorControl wpImageAnnotatorOff"><a href="//commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:JH-Colton-350.jpg" class="image"><img alt="J. H. Colton" src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/b0/JH-Colton-350.jpg/120px-JH-Colton-350.jpg" decoding="async" width="120" height="158" class="photo" srcset="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/b0/JH-Colton-350.jpg/180px-JH-Colton-350.jpg 1.5x, https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/b0/JH-Colton-350.jpg/240px-JH-Colton-350.jpg 2x" data-file-width="350" data-file-height="462"></a></span></td>
</tr><tr><th scope="row">Alternative names</th>
<td colspan="2" class="fullwidth" id="fileinfotpl_creator_alt-name_value"><div class="nickname">
Joseph Hutchins Colton</div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row">Description</th>
<td colspan="2" class="fullwidth" id="fileinfotpl_creator_desc_value">American cartographer and geographer</td></tr><tr><th scope="row">Date of birth/death</th>
<td class="halfwidth" id="fileinfotpl_creator_birthdate_value">
5 July 1800 <a href="https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q6105865#P569" title="Edit this at Wikidata"><img alt="Edit this at Wikidata" src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/8/8a/OOjs_UI_icon_edit-ltr-progressive.svg/10px-OOjs_UI_icon_edit-ltr-progressive.svg.png" decoding="async" width="10" height="10" style="vertical-align: text-top" srcset="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/8/8a/OOjs_UI_icon_edit-ltr-progressive.svg/15px-OOjs_UI_icon_edit-ltr-progressive.svg.png 1.5x, https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/8/8a/OOjs_UI_icon_edit-ltr-progressive.svg/20px-OOjs_UI_icon_edit-ltr-progressive.svg.png 2x" data-file-width="20" data-file-height="20"></a></td><td class="halfwidth" id="fileinfotpl_creator_deathdate_value">
29 July 1893 / 19 July 1893 <a href="https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q6105865#P570" title="Edit this at Wikidata"><img alt="Edit this at Wikidata" src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/8/8a/OOjs_UI_icon_edit-ltr-progressive.svg/10px-OOjs_UI_icon_edit-ltr-progressive.svg.png" decoding="async" width="10" height="10" style="vertical-align: text-top" srcset="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/8/8a/OOjs_UI_icon_edit-ltr-progressive.svg/15px-OOjs_UI_icon_edit-ltr-progressive.svg.png 1.5x, https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/8/8a/OOjs_UI_icon_edit-ltr-progressive.svg/20px-OOjs_UI_icon_edit-ltr-progressive.svg.png 2x" data-file-width="20" data-file-height="20"></a></td></tr><tr><th scope="row">Location of birth/death</th>
<td class="halfwidth" id="fileinfotpl_creator_birthloc_value">
<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/en:Longmeadow,_Massachusetts" class="extiw" title="w:en:Longmeadow, Massachusetts"><span title="town in Hampden County, Massachusetts, United States of America">Longmeadow</span></a></td><td class="halfwidth" id="fileinfotpl_creator_deathloc_value">
<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/en:New_York_City" class="extiw" title="w:en:New York City"><span title="most populous city in the United States of America">New York City</span></a></td></tr><tr><th scope="row"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/en:Authority_file" class="extiw" title="w:en:Authority file"><span title="collection of authority records, where each record picks preferred heading, alternative heading and other information, used for bibliographic information">Authority file</span></a></th>
<td colspan="2" class="fullwidth" id="fileinfotpl_creator_authority_value"><div class="hlist">
<ul><li><a href="https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q6105865" title="wikidata:Q6105865"><img alt="wikidata:Q6105865" src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/ff/Wikidata-logo.svg/20px-Wikidata-logo.svg.png" decoding="async" width="20" height="11" srcset="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/ff/Wikidata-logo.svg/30px-Wikidata-logo.svg.png 1.5x, https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/ff/Wikidata-logo.svg/40px-Wikidata-logo.svg.png 2x" data-file-width="1050" data-file-height="590"></a>: <a href="https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q6105865" class="extiw" title="d:Q6105865">Q6105865</a></li>
<li><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/en:Virtual_International_Authority_File" class="extiw" title="w:en:Virtual International Authority File">VIAF</a>: <span class="uid"><span class="plainlinks"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://viaf.org/viaf/5230755/">5230755</a></span></span></li>
<li><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/en:International_Standard_Name_Identifier" class="extiw" title="w:en:International Standard Name Identifier">ISNI</a>: <span class="uid"><span class="plainlinks"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://isni.oclc.org/xslt/DB=1.2/CMD?ACT=SRCH&amp;IKT=8006&amp;TRM=ISN%3A0000000073676416">0000 0000 7367 6416</a></span></span></li>
<li><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/en:LCCN_(identifier)" class="extiw" title="w:en:LCCN (identifier)">LCCN</a>: <span class="uid"><span class="plainlinks"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://id.loc.gov/authorities/n50031700">n50031700</a></span></span></li>
<li><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/en:Open_Library" class="extiw" title="w:en:Open Library">Open Library</a>: <span class="uid"><span class="plainlinks"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://openlibrary.org/works/OL177683A">OL177683A</a></span></span></li>
<li><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/en:SUDOC_(identifier)" class="extiw" title="w:en:SUDOC (identifier)">SUDOC</a>: <span class="uid"><span class="plainlinks"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://www.idref.fr/243212860">243212860</a></span></span></li>
<li><span class="uid"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="//www.worldcat.org/identities/lccn-n50031700">WorldCat</a></span></li></ul></div></td></tr></tbody></table><div style="display: none;">creator QS:P170,Q6105865</div>
<ul><li>derivative work: <a href="//commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/User:Jim_Evans" title="User:Jim Evans">Jim Evans</a></li></ul>
This file was derived from: <a href="//commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:1855_Colton_Map_of_Kansas_and_Nebraska_(first_edition)_-_Geographicus_-_NebraskaKansas-colton-1855.jpg" title="File:1855 Colton Map of Kansas and Nebraska (first edition) - Geographicus - NebraskaKansas-colton-1855.jpg">1855 Colton Map of Kansas and Nebraska (first edition) - Geographicus - NebraskaKansas-colton-1855.jpg</a>: <a href="//commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:1855_Colton_Map_of_Kansas_and_Nebraska_(first_edition)_-_Geographicus_-_NebraskaKansas-colton-1855.jpg" class="image"><img alt="1855 Colton Map of Kansas and Nebraska (first edition) - Geographicus - NebraskaKansas-colton-1855.jpg" src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/2/26/1855_Colton_Map_of_Kansas_and_Nebraska_%28first_edition%29_-_Geographicus_-_NebraskaKansas-colton-1855.jpg/50px-1855_Colton_Map_of_Kansas_and_Nebraska_%28first_edition%29_-_Geographicus_-_NebraskaKansas-colton-1855.jpg" decoding="async" width="50" height="41" srcset="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/2/26/1855_Colton_Map_of_Kansas_and_Nebraska_%28first_edition%29_-_Geographicus_-_NebraskaKansas-colton-1855.jpg/75px-1855_Colton_Map_of_Kansas_and_Nebraska_%28first_edition%29_-_Geographicus_-_NebraskaKansas-colton-1855.jpg 1.5x, https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/2/26/1855_Colton_Map_of_Kansas_and_Nebraska_%28first_edition%29_-_Geographicus_-_NebraskaKansas-colton-1855.jpg/100px-1855_Colton_Map_of_Kansas_and_Nebraska_%28first_edition%29_-_Geographicus_-_NebraskaKansas-colton-1855.jpg 2x" data-file-width="4000" data-file-height="3251"></a><br>