Map Of The Union Pacific Railroad Lands. - Rare Map Highlighting Union Pacific Land Grants In Central Nebraska. A. Gast & Co.

"The construction of the nation's first Transcontinental Railroad was a massive undertaking in terms of labor, planning, and capital. To help finance the project, Congress granted the Union Pacific Railroad (and numerous other companies) alternating tracts of formerly publicly-owned land that could be used for sale or loan collateral. Cumulatively, railroads would receive over 175 million acres of land during the period of significant expansion between 1850 and 1871. This rare map shows just a fraction of the overall whole, noting Union Pacific land grants across twelve different counties bordering the Platte River in south-central Nebraska. The railway line (completed in 1869) and several connections boldly bisect the image amid numerous small towns. Fort Kearney and a large Pawnee Reservation are both noted as abandoned. The map was designed and published around 1880 by August Gast & Co. in St. Louis. That same year, Gast created a map of the Union Pacific grants across the entirety of Nebraska. It is also uncommon, but this sheet focusing on twelve counties east of Ft. Kearney is even rarer. Unlisted in Worldcat/OCLC or other online repositories, though other U.P. land county maps are noted as being issued by the Republic Press in Omaha. Sources: Leventhal Map Collection at the Boston Public Library; Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History; OCLC: 83920823 (alternate U.P. land map)" Sheet Width (in) 26.75 Sheet Height (in) 25.2 Condition Description Light creasing and faint wear along originally issued fold lines. A few small spots of abrasions and tiny holes in the center of the sheet have been repaired on the verso with archival material. Very good condition overall. Blank on verso.