Summer is upon us, and millions of Americans will take to the road for their own personalized and memorable version of the Great American Road Trip. Along with bringing along some of the fine and detailed cartographic creations offered from Benchmark Maps, the curious traveler will want to look over these fine digital map collections created by universities throughout the West.
From the Olympic Mountains to the Snake River: Maps of Washington
Washington is a state with many most wonderful surprises for the traveler, from the drama of Steptoe Butte all the way to the Sol Duc Hot Springs in Olympic National Park. The natural, political, cultural, and historical aspects of the state come alive in this excellent digital collection of maps created by the Washington State University Libraries. The site has a timeline that documents the history of map-making around the state, and first-time visitors would do well to start here. Moving on, visitors can use the United States Geological Survey Topographic map index area to roam across the state at their leisure. It’s a nice way to learn about the state’s geography and it may inspire a bit of informed wandering.
Before Neon: Southern Nevada in the early 20th Century
http://digital.library.unlv.edu/boomtown/
Years before Steve Wynn, Elvis Presley, Ann Margret, and Liberace made the Strip gleam and glitter, Las Vegas and southern Nevada were dominated by railroad titans, prospectors, and land speculators. This digital collection from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas brings together maps, photographs, and other fascinating items to tell the story of southern Nevada in the first several decades of the 20th century. Start your journey here by using the map of southern Nevada boomtowns to get acquainted with the region, and then look over the “Highlights” area for dramatic images of railroad crashes and ramshackle boomtown environments. Visitors shouldn’t miss the Las Vegas and the Railroad section, as it offers images and commentary that craft a vivid portrait of this once-small town. One particularly telling comment comes from A.J. Drothzen, an orchardist, who mention in 1904 that “I think the Las Vegas Valley will be some kind of resort place for sick people from the East and there got to be quite a town somewhere on the new Railway line.”
Idaho and Beyond
http://www.lib.uidaho.edu/digital/maps/
The folks at the University of Idaho Library’s Digital Initiatives office have created this rather dandy interactive map that allows interested visitors to explore this magnificent collection of over 8000 images. It’s easy to see how such a collection might get people out on the open road with its documentation of county courthouses in Idaho and rather remarkable cornucopia of images that tell the history of the Coulee Dam across the border in Washington. Visitors will enjoy using the maps here to explore this unique corner of the Pacific Northwest, and the site merits several return visits.
