Guillaume De l’Isle’s “Map of Louisiana and the Mississippi River” is one of the most famous maps in American history, what cartographers call, because of its accuracy and eloquence, a “mother map,” a map in this case that spurred great imitation, innovation, and political thought. The map was originally published in 1718, the year this mapmaker was appointed Chief Geographer to the King (Louis
Containing: I. A Colored Township Map of Missouri, corrected down to the time of publication. II. A Colored Map of the City of St. Louis, showing the Wards, Lines of Street Railroads, etc. III. A Colored Outline Map, showing the Railroad Connections of St. Louis and the West. IV. Table of Stations, Distances and Connections, for all Railroads leading out of St. Louis, embracing nearly one thousand stations on seventeen Railroads, with a combined length of about four thousand miles. V. Statistics of the counties of Missouri, showing for each county its population, area in acres, assessed value of land, average value per acre, value of real and personal property, number of farms, value of farm products, value of manufactured products, number of schools, children of school age, children attending. VI. List of nearly five hundred cities, towns and villages in Missouri, showing population, number of business houses, with directions for travelers or shippers to reach them most conveniently. VII. Brief sketch of Missouri and St. Louis. VIII. Brief sketch of the Counties of Missouri.
Assembled at Hannibal. Addressed to the People of the Counties of St. Charles, Lincoln, Pike, Ralls, Marion, Lewis & Clark, in the States of Missouri; the People of the City of St. Louis; and the People of the City of Keokuk, in the State of Iowa. Report about the early construction of the Mississippi Valley Railroad