Melish's Travels

Scottish-born John Melish visited the United States several times beginning in 1806, finally deciding to settle in Philadelphia in 1811. This work contains Melish's first maps, and they formed the basis for his later career in cartography. Reinforcing his observations of the places he visited, these first-hand maps focused on cities, towns, or transportation hubs and included topography and information on local settlements and roads, predominantly covering the Mid-Atlantic and Mid-West. Considered to be some of the best local maps of the time, they were regularly updated with each publication. Melish's maps came to dominate the cartography industry in America, and he set the standard for future American map-makers.