1965 Phillips Pictorial Map of Mt. Katahdin and Baxter State Park, Maine

Northern Terminus of the Appalchian Trail - made by a Mainer.

This is a 1965 Augustus Phillips and Son pictorial map of Baxter State Park and environs in Maine, including Mt. Katahdin, Maine's highest peak and the northern terminus of the Appalachian Trail. The pictorial maps of Luther S. Phillips and his son, Augustus, are much beloved in Maine, where they have a strong local following.

A Closer Look

The map presents Baxter State Park and its immediate surroundings in Phillips' distinctive style. Paved and gravel roads, marked hiking trails, unmarked 'old trails', Maine Forest Service camp sites and towers, camps of the Great Northern Paper Company, boating sites, and the Appalachian Trail, which terminates at Katahdin, are all illustrated. Mountains, lakes, ponds, rivers, and other natural features are labeled throughout, as are campgrounds. Contour lines display elevation, which is also recorded. Illustrations of local wildlife appear in the margins. At the bottom is an image of Maine's Governor from 1921 to 1925, Percival P. Baxter (1876 - 1969), for whom the park is named, with the affecting quote: 'Man is born to die, his works are short-lived, buildings crumble, monuments decay, wealth vanishes - but Katahdin in all its glory forever shall remain the mountain of the people of Maine.'

Mount Katahdin

Mount Katahdin, located in Baxter State Park in north-central Maine, is the highest peak in the state, standing at 5,269 feet (1,606 meters). It is renowned for its rugged beauty and is a focal point of the Appalachian Trail, marking its northern terminus. The mountain, whose name means 'The Greatest Mountain' in the Penobscot language, holds significant cultural and spiritual importance for the Penobscot Native American tribe. Established as a protected area in 1931 by former Maine Governor Percival Baxter, the surrounding Baxter State Park ensures the preservation of Mount Katahdin's pristine environment, allowing visitors to experience the natural beauty and solitude of this iconic mountain.

The Appalachian Trail

The Appalachian Trail originated in the 1920s as part of a visionary plan to create a continuous wilderness footpath spanning the eastern United States. The trail was conceived by forester Benton MacKaye (1879 - 1975), who proposed the idea in 1921 as both a recreational and conservation project. The concept quickly gained traction through the Appalachian Trail Conference (1925), which coordinated local trail clubs and volunteers to build segments linking existing paths along the Appalachian Mountains. Construction began in earnest in the late 1920s. The northern terminus was established at Mount Katahdin, chosen for its rugged grandeur and symbolic significance as the northernmost peak of the Appalachians in the U.S. By the early 1930s, volunteer crews in Maine had blazed the initial routes leading to Katahdin through the forests of Baxter State Park. The full trail was officially completed in 1937, stretching over 2,000 miles from Springer Mountain, Georgia, to Mount Katahdin, marking the culmination of over a decade of grassroots effort and the beginning of what would become one of America's most iconic long-distance hiking trails.

Publication History and Census

This map was prepared and published by Augustus D. Phillips and Son in 1965. It is only noted among the holdings of the Library of Congress, the University of Southern Maine, and the University of Maine at Orono (the latter two institutions also hold a second edition published in 1972).

Cartographer

Augustus Dewey Phillips (May 6, 1898 - December 14, 1975), a.k.a. 'Gus', was an American artist, cartographer, and publisher. Born on Mount Desert Island, Maine, as a boy Augustus and his brother Luther Savage Phillips (1891 - 1960) helped their dad in a variety of odd jobs, including maintaining a boat rental business and harvesting and selling ice. Augustus graduated from Hebron Academy and then attended the University of Maine for a short time. After leaving university, Phillips became a Maine Guide and worked as a carpenter and draftsman in the South Portland and Boothbay Harbor ship and boat yards. The brothers traveled together widely throughout Maine. Luther went on to start a popular map and postcard business out of Northeast Harbor, Maine. After Luther died in 1960, Augustus took over the map businesses. In a tragic turn of events, in 1973 an out of control bush fire destroyed the Phillips studio and much of the surviving stock, making all Phillips' maps issued prior to that date rare. His passion for landscapes helped Augustus create his own map style. Augustus expanded the business and continued making new maps until he died in 1975. Augustus' son, Donald Beekman Phillips (1935 - 2009) continued the business after his father's death. Augustus married Mary Fletcher on April 26, 1922, with whom he had four children.   Further Details...

Condition

Excellent.

References

OCLC 1053171007, 650089622.