Mapping Indiana: Five Centuries of Treasures from the Indiana Historical Society

by Donald Cresswell

It is not known exactly when the first map found its way into the collection of the Indiana Historical Society, its acquisition could have taken place as early as 1830, the year that the organization was founded. Over the last 186 years the IHS has continued to add cartographic gems to its collection. The scope of the maps maintained by the IHS ranges from several Old World views of North America to more contemporary views of Indiana counties and towns. While the focus of the map collection is broad geographically, its core subject is Indiana and the documentation of the evolving history of the Hoosier State. Two introductory essays relate the history of mapmaking from the early days of maps in America to the present as well as the history of maps in the state. More than one hundred maps from the IHS collection are highlighted with brief essays on each. Finalist, IBPA Benjamin Franklin Award; finalist (Regional), Foreword INDIES Book of the Year Award

Genres: Nonfiction

320 pages, Hardcover

First published November 1, 2009

Reviews

[James · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am a sucker for maps, and I thought "Mapping Indiana" did a wonderful job sharing the scope of the Indiana Historical Society's map collection. The offerings here are broad by definition, encompassing everything from early, inaccurate maps from European cartographers to geological maps, town surveys, postal routes and more.

I am particularly fond of the "Birds-Eye" maps of various cities from the late 1800s/early 1900s, but there are a number of fun maps here, including Native American place names and maps of Indiana writers. The mapped locations vary pretty widely, both in subject matter and geographically across the state, so it's unlikely that every map will appeal to every reader. If you're interested in Indiana geography, though, you're sure to find some "wows" in these pages.

[Jim Blessing · Rating 3 out of 5]

This OVERSIZE book was so heavy, it was literally hard to turn the pages. The maps were interesting.