1824 Tanner Map of Ohio and Indiana

A rare and important map of Ohio and Indiana by Henry S. Tanner, in a transitional state between the 1823 and 1825 editions of his New American Atlas. This elephant folio map covers all of Ohio and Indiana in detail, as well as sketching in adjacent parts of Michigan, Illinois, Kentucky, Virginia and Pennsylvania. The map is a strong example of Tanner's superb engraving, showing rivers, topography by hachure, cities, towns and roadways.

A Transitional State

The copyright on this map, is May 24, 1819; this is the date found on this map in the later issues of 1825 and 1833 as well. This example appeared in an 1823 edition of the New American Atlas. The plate, nonetheless, differs sharply both from other 1823 and 1825 examples (compare with Rumsey's examples of these years), and contextual details suggest that this revised map was executed in 1824.

Many Towns Noted, Corrected

Between the first issue of this map and this example, dozens of place names have been added: towns, villages, rivers, creeks and even individual farms appear on this map that are absent on the 1823 first state. (A few that appear on the 1823 are removed as well!)

The Northwestern Counties of Ohio

Some of the most drastic changes in Ohio take place in the counties west of Sandusky Bay. Henry, Wood, Sandusky, Seneca, Crawford and Marion counties are shown on the 1823 as marshy and uninviting; here the swamplands are expunged. Fort Stephenson - the site of a rare American victory in the war of 1812 - has also been added. These counties were largely the result of February 1820 treaties and purchases from Native American tribes, notably the Wyandot Nation. Mercer County on the earlier state marks the presence of 'Miami Indians' and includes a note that

During the spring floods, canoes pass from the Miami to the Wabash and thence into Maumee River.

On the updated state of the map, these references are removed. Mercer county itself would not officially exist until January 1824, so it is likely that this map dates to 1824 despite its older copyright.

The Cession of Indiana

The sharpest distinctions between the first state of this map, and this example is the explosion of European settlement in Indiana. The 1823 issue of this map explicitly refers to the 1818 'Delaware's Cession,' or the Treaty of St. Mary's. Actually six separate treaties between the United States and nine Native American Nations (including the Delaware), The 'Delaware Cession' resulted (in the area covered by this map) in the cession of Wea Indian claims to all lands in Ohio, Indiana, and Illinois, the cession of Miami lands south of the Wabash, a tract consisting of the entire central portion of Indiana.

Illustrating the Occupation of Indiana

The 1823 map still shows, in most of Indiana north of Franklin and Vigo counties, Native American territory with the tribal names of the Miamis, Kickapoo, Shawnee, and Pattawatima Nations. This 1824 state of the map marks an 'Indian Boundary' some twenty-five miles northwest of the Wabash River, with tribal names much fewer, and reduced in extent. Meanwhile, a dozen new counties have been formed south of the Wabash, pushing ever northwards. Even descriptions of the land have been changed: On the 1823, the land south of the Wabash is described thus: This section of the State contains much good land; but intersected with long, narrow, swamps, boggy and miry, the soil of which is a stiff blue clay. The 1824 map dispenses with this description, instead describing the land north of the Wabash:

Country interspersed with small lakes which connect the waters of the Mississippi with those of the northern lakes.

Not only does the map reveal the takeover of Indiana by Europeans, it actively provides encouraging detail for prospective settlers: an example of the map as a tool of occupation.

Legionville, PA

Across the border into Pennsylvania can be seen 'Legionville (in ruins)' - a feature not included in the 1823 Tanner map of Pennsylvania and New Jersey. Legionville was, between 1792 and 1795, the first formal basic training facility for the military of the United States, then represented by the Legion of the United States. This was America's first standing army composed of professional soldiers, as opposed to the state militias. Legionville's position near the Ohio border speaks to a history of defeats of American forces at the hands of the Native American Western Confederacy in 1790 and 1791. In 1824 the site was purchased by the Harmony Society for the establishment of their third settlement; by then the site had fallen into disuse and by 1819 was certainly 'in ruins.'

Publication History and Census

The map was engraved by Tanner (and his assistants) for inclusion in an 1823 edition of his New American Atlas. It is rare: we see only one example of the 1823 edition of this separate map in the BnF; their copy is not digitized, and we are not aware if their example is of the original 1823 first state, or this transitional state. Four examples of the 'Improved to 1825' state appear in OCLC. Perhaps twenty-five examples of the 1823 New American Atlas are catalogued in OCLC.