One of the great state maps published in the early years of the Republic, “the best map of Pennsylvania to appear in the 18th century, and the first detailed map of the state to show its exact boundaries.” (Wheat and Brun)

At the end of the Revolutionary War Pennsylvania found itself in a state of transition. Government finances were parlous, with the debt incurred in waging war. As the state sought opportunities to generate extra income, eyes turned westward, toward promoting settlement beyond the Alleghenies as well as surveying lands set aside for the twin programs for remunerating war veterans: “Donation Lands” for officers and “Depreciation Lands” set aside to compensate enlisted men who has been paid in depreciated currency. Further, territorial disputes with Connecticut and Virginia were only resolved in the mid-1780s. So, there was an urgent need for up-to-date mapping of the state, and great opportunity for professionally-trained surveyors like Reading Howell ready to answer the call.

The result is by far the greatest 18^th-century map of Pennsylvania, by the premier surveyor working in the state after the Revolution. The map represents a significant advance on earlier maps—notably the Nicholas Scull map of Pennsylvania of 1759 and the William Scull map of 1770, not only for the more detailed mapping of eastern Pennsylvania, but the extensive coverage, from the latest sources, of the western part of the state. These improvements are best described in the author’s own words, engraved on the map:

“A Map of the State of Pennsylvania…. including the Triangle lately purchased of Congress,[1] and containing the Boundary Lines of the State, as run by the respective Commissioners, with part of Lake Erie, and Presque’Isle. Also, by actual Survey the Rivers Susquehanna, its North-east and West Branches, Tyoga, Sinnemahoning, Juaniatta, Lehigh, Lexawacsein, Schuylkill, and the western Rivers Ohio, Allegeny, Conewango, part of the Chataughque Lake, and French Creek, agreeably to the late Discoveries, Monaungehela, Yoxhiogenia, and Kiskemanetas, and the larger Creeks, and most of the lesser Streams, Mountains, the old principal Roads, with the many new ones in the northern and western parts of the State, and the Portages and communications from the late Surveys by order of Government. The Divisions, Lines of the respective Counties and Townships, Delineation of the Districts of Depreciation and Donation Lands, with all the other Districts in the new Purchase. The Seats of Justice in the respective Counties, Iron works, Manufactories, Minerals, and other noted Places”

Prior to Howell’s work the great map of Pennsylvania was William Scull’s 1770 map. A comparison shows the rapid expansion of settlement beyond the Allegheny Mountains: On Scull’s map the western part of the state is almost blank, whereas the Howell offers much new detail in the “Donation” and “Depreciation Lands”, though the remaining empty areas reflect the gradual pace of settlement in the area.  More generally, the much larger format of Howell’s map (37”h x 63”w as against 22”h x 32”w for the Scull) allowed considerably greater detail across the whole face of the map.

Publication history
Howell first announced his plans for a map of the state in March 1787:

“studious application, and considerable practice for the state, as well as individuals, has enabled him to make a large collection; from which he is compiling, and has in forwardness, a MAP of PENNSYLVANIA, to be laid down, principally, from actual survey, which, from the materials now in his possession, and those in prospect, flatters himself, that his Map will be rendered much more useful than any yet published” (Pennsylvania Herald, March 17, 1787, p. 1)

By November of that year, his plans were sufficiently advanced to make a general appeal for subscribers, issuing a broadsheet announcement to that effect.[2] A later announcement noted:

“PROPOSALS For PUBLISHING, by SUBSCRIPTION, A Map of Pennsylvania. By READING HOWELL. THE MAP will be 62 inches long and 32 broad; shewing the latitude and longitude to every five minutes .. The price to subscribers is two dollars and two-thirds of a dollar, one dollar paid on subscribing — The Map will be delivered in Philadelphia on the payment of the remainder. …” (Pennsylvania Packet, February 29, 1788, p. 3)

There followed a lengthy sequence of advertisements, repeating the same formula. As the work progressed, Howell introduced new sources and observations to perfect the map, describing these improvements in advertisements in late 1788 and 1789. In one 1789 advert, after a long description of the map he wrote that:

“These materials have been collected from the offices of the Secretary of Council, Surveyor-General, and from the Deputy-Surveyors in every part of the state — The roads and townships from the records of the respective counties.

 

“Although these gentlemen have given their special assistance, he [i.e., Howell] hath, nevertheless, been at very considerable expence in collecting the same, and in making many surveys to correct the mensuration of the principal waters, running county lines, &c.

 

“Many of the county seats of justice, and other noted places, are fixed by astronomical observations, made by Messrs. Rittenhouse and Ellicott, and others, which serve to correct the work. ..” (Pennsylvania Packet, August 14, 1789, p. 3).

Perhaps impressed by Howell’s diligence, Pennsylvania eventually agreed to provide funding, in an act of March 27, 1790: “The Legislature of this state have been pleased to patronise the publication of said Map, by granting to the Compiler the sum of three hundred pounds to forward the undertaking” (Pennsylvania Packet, May 28, 1790, p. 3). This was hardly a a princely sum, given the scale of the undertaking and compared to other state sponsored maps; moreover, a balance of £100 recorded as still unpaid in September 1791.

When the drafting was complete, Howell contracted with the London bookseller and publisher James Phillips to engrave and print the map. It’s not clear why Howell had the work done in London, but it’s possible that the best Philadelphia map engravers were committed to Matthew Carey for his Atlas to Guthrie’s Geography and/or to Thomas Dobson for his Encyclopaedia; or, a Dictionary of Arts, Sciences, and Miscellaneous Literature. 

There was some delay,[3] but in a letter to Phillips dated October 1, 1792 Howell acknowledged receipt of 320 sets of the map in sheets and sufficient paper to print another 600 sets (not allowing for wastage).[4] Howell also praised Phillips’ work, though with some reservations:

“The engraving is esteemed elegant. I am well pleased with its general appearance, But it is perhaps rather light and delicate, and will need retouching sooner on that account … When the plates want retouching I expect I shall send them back for that purpose. provided thou will accept of the charge.”

Howell first advertised the map for sale in December 1792, but issued this lengthier advertisement in January 1793:

“To the Citizens of Pennsylvania. THE SUBSCRIBER Has now the pleasure of presenting to you, and the World at Large, His MAP of the STATE. THE constant labour of six years. During which time, he exerted his abilities, sparing neither money nor labour, in bringing it to its present perfection. Not having the assistance of a preceding map founded on authentic documents, he was obliged to compleat it from detached surveys, collected, from the one to the other extreme of the state, at a heavy expence. Yet sundry parts of the Map remain blank, for want of Materials, which he intends completing as they can be procured. He nevertheless presumes that it is as correct, for the same extent of country, if not more so, than any Map that has heretofore been produced, even in the old countries. This however he is willing to submit to their impartial judgment….

 

“He colours, varnishes, and fully completes the said Maps, on Rollers, or Frames, in a style superior to those down in London; he also cuts and folds them for pocket-carriage.” (Pennsylvania Gazette, January 9, 1793, p. 3)

Having completed the map, for a time Howell corrected the individual plates on an ad hoc basis. However, from about 1794 he began to extensively revise the map, with new printings advertised in February 1794 (“both large and small revised Emissions”, July 1794, January 1795, 1796 (“Third Emission”), 1806 (copyright line now dated 1806), 1809 (advertisement matching new undated additions) and 1811 (date in title).

By 1811, the map was substantially out-of-date. In October 1815, John Melish – then planning his own map of Pennsylvania, commented that the map was “very good and distinctly engraved, but by no means so minute as to the physical geography of the country, or so magnificent in execution, as this opulent and most important state ought to possess” (Washington Daily National Intelligencer, October 18, 1815, page 3). That said, Melish took his time about it, and his “Map of Pennsylvania” was not published until 1822.

Cartobibliography
The map is composed of four sheets. In the first phase of publication, through 1794 the plates were haphazardly revised; and, in keeping with the publishing habits of the day, sets were rather randomly assembled at point of sale, so very few extant sets from this first phase are uniform. Following Wheat & Brun’s rather confusing classification, it appears that the present example was assembled in or around 1794.[5] It was only in 1795 and 1796 Howell oversaw a uniform revision of the four plates. 

Reading Howell
Howell (1743-1827) saw service in the Revolutionary War. After his discharge he worked as a surveyor in Philadelphia. During the war he reached the rank of Major in the U.S. Army, but was later referred to as quartermaster of the Second Regiment, Hunterdon County Militia. In 1787, he was described as former Deputy-Quarter-Master-General [of Pennsylvania forces?] when he was tasked by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania with settling the claims of Pennsylvanians against the United States.

In 1785 the Commonwealth commissioned him to survey the Delaware River to establish state ownership of the various islands, and to identify navigation hazards in the river. From about 1787 to 1794, he was preoccupied by his Pennsylvania mapping project, though in 1790 the State appointed him “one of the Surveyors for the inland Navigation and Roads of Communication within the State”.

Once the Pennsylvania map was completed, Howell announced two further projects, a wall map of the United States, registered for copyright Febuary, 26, 1794, and a map of Philadelphia County, registered for copyright, March 5, 1794) Although both maps were heavily advertised in the Philadelphia papers, neither came to fruition.

Howell continued to work as a surveyor, while updating the four-sheet map, until about 1810, when he sold the copyright to two partnerships, “Kimber & Conrad” (Emmor Kimber and Solomon White Conrad) and “Jacob & Warner” (Jacob Johnson and Benjamin Warner), who also co-operated on a globe project and American editions of Arrowsmith’s wall maps. He may well have retreated to farming about this time, when he would have been about 67. He died in 1827 at his farm in Bucks County.[6]

A major milestone in the 18^th-century mapping of Pennsylvania, offered here in superb condition.

References
Phillips, List of Maps of America in the Library of Congress, p. 679. Reps, American Maps and Mapmakers, pp. 108-110. Rumsey Map Collection, #4181. Wheat & Brun, Maps and Charts Published in America before 1800, #432-436 for the early states; 440, 441 & 453 for the later editions.

[1] Often termed the “Erie triangle” a block of land acquired by the United States and sold to Pennsylvania in 1792, to give Pennsylvania access to Lake Erie and, indirectly, the other Great Lakes.

[2] “Philadelphia, November 21, 1787. Proposals, For Publishing, By Subscription, A Map Of Pennsylvania, By Reading Howell. …”.

[3] These delays meant that Howell’s smaller map of Pennsylvania, using the same survey work, but engraved in Philadelphia was published first, advertised on June 29, 1792.

[4] “Philadelphia 1st, 10mo 1792 [to] James Phillips

“Respected Friend, I received thy letters of the 3d, 5th, 14.th and 26.th of the 7mo. and 4th of the 8th mo. with the respective bills of lading, Their contents came all safe to hand. viz 320 Maps in Sheets and 6 Reams of large paper for copper plates. All the Maps arrived before the expiration of the limited time. I am nevertheless satisfied with thy precautions to secure the donation.

“The engraving is esteemed elegant. I am well pleased with its general appearance, But it is perhaps rather light and delicate, and will need retouching sooner on that account. In descending to particulars I find sundry omissions and some few mistakes, but are generally of little moment. It is nevertheless upon the whole executed with more precision than I expected otherwise I should have directed more printing to have been done in your City.

“I find thou hast secured the Map from piracy and fixed on its selling price with you which I am well pleased with.

“When the plates want retouching I expect I shall send them back for that purpose. provided thou will accept of the charge.

“I read the detail of thy trouble and disappointment in this undertaking with disagreeable feelings. But as thy labour is crowned with success I hope they will on reflection afford thee no disagreeable sensations. I have however to acknowledge thy favour and ever hold it in greatful remembrance.

“I am thy respectful Friend, Reading Howell

“London p[er] Packet.” (Letter in a private Midwest collection)

[5] Wheat & Brun is confusing on this score, but briefly:

• Top left sheet: state 2, with “Conewango” added to the north-easterly branch of “Conewango Creek”.
• Top right: state 2: with a floral surround added to the title cartouche, and “R.R. Levington” added to one of the streams flowing into the “Popaxtunk Branch of Delaware”.
• Bottom left: state 4, with imprint (state 3) and “Gentle Run Creek” labelled.
• Bottom right: state 2, a floral cartouche has been added around the dedication, with agricultural implements, a quayside side scene with a ship and mill wheel.

[6] An obituary commented, “DIED, on the 20th of November, at his farm, in Bucks county, READING HOWELL, Esq. in the 84th. year of his age. Much of his time had been devoted to the public service, as a major of the staff in the eventful struggle for our independence; in the employment of the State – in an examination of its natural resources – but more particularly did he devote his time and knowledge to the improvement of this city, – his name may be said to be identified with the substantial improvement of Philadelphia. Though unostentatious and reserved, he was much esteemed by his fellow citizens for his innate worth, uniform integrity, and high moral rectitude. Satisfied with the part he had acted, he had retired from the turmoils of the world, to consecrate his last years to solitude and reflection.” (Poulson’s American Daily Advertiser, December 28, 1827, p. 3).