R. W. Chandler's 1829 Map

[Larry Koschkee]

Richard W. Chandler's 1829 MAP OF THE UNITED STATES LEAD MINES ON THE UPPER MISSISSIPPI RIVER is a well known and valuable reference to historians but what do we know about Chandler and what prompted him to publish the map?

What did he have to gain by publication?

Was he backed by some U. S. Government agency?

Was he a land speculator?

Your help is needed in answering these questions.

What little I know about Chandler is that his name shows up on a June 6, 1826 petition to the U. S. Government to gain more permanent titles to land on the Fever River and is listed in a election poll book, August 7th, 1826 of Fever River precinct of Peoria County, IL.

The 1829 map states: Drawn & Published by R. W. Chandler Of Galena This infers that Chandler himself created the map. To the contrary... Morgan L. Martin's "Narrative" (1828), Wisconsin Historical Society Collections XI, pg. 397 wherein Martin said he made the first real map of the lead region and was published by R. W. Chandler.

If Morgan L. Martin was involved with the map you can count on the ulterior motive being one of land speculation. Martin was buddies with Byron Kilbourn, Assistant to the Surveyor General of the Michigan Territory. This association along with a future partner Solomon Juneau lead to the founding of Milwaukee, Wisconsin and major land speculation in southeast Wisconsin.

You will note two major clues on the map as to the actual time period the maps was drawn up.

1) North of Jo. Daviess County, Illinois it shows Crawford County, Part of Michigan Territory. Post Treaty of Prairie du Chien, Michigan Territory with the Winnebago, August 1, 1829, Iowa County was created by Congress, October 9, 1829.

2) Second and most important evidence of map date is the following statement from the map: The United States have the Fee Simple in part, and the right to occupy the whole of the contry between the Wisconsin and the surveyed lands south of Rock river, and the line marked along sugar creek to the Mississippi. Commissioners are appointed for the purpose of extinguishing the Indian title to the whole in the course of the summer for the sale of which the Government has made no provision except a section upon which stands the town of Galena. This statement made before the August 1, 1829 Treaty of Prairie du Chien was consummated indicates Chandler was making a foregone conclusion.

Clearly, Chandler's map is apparent... A major advertising campaign to encourage settlers and miners to locate, thus forcing the U. S. Government's hand to force the Indians to cede their remaining lands and open up the mining district to private land sales. Subtle and effective visual aid marketing tool.

What say you?

[pshrake]

Some interesting stuff here Larry!

I have a copy of the map hanging on my wall and have studied it for years and never noticed the comment about the appointment of commissioners. To me this is pretty conclusive evidence that it was drawn probably in early 1829 before the conclusion of the treaty that aquired the lead region.

I would, however, have to disagree with your comments relating to the map as a means of forcing the U.S. into negotiating for the lead region. The U.S. was already well committed to the acquisition of lands. The previous year in 1828 Lewis Cass and Pierre Menard met with the HoChunk at Green Bay in an attempt to get the region. They were somewhat skillfully outmanuvered by White Crow who refused to negotiate under the pretext that due to the lateness of the season, it was late August I believe, many of the authorized chiefs were not present at the council and so the members of the tribe that were present could not sign away any land.

Cass and Menard did get the HoChunk to agree to open their boarders and to not harm or interfere with any white miners that may set up operations on thier lands.

Contemporary accounts have considered the negotiations at Green Bay in 1828 as a failure, and plans were almost immediately set in motion for another council the following year. In the meantime a delegation of HoChunk leaders were sent to Washington to meet with President Adams who used the occasion to leverage the lives of the two warriors convicted of the murders at Prairie du Chien into a promise from the HoChunk chiefs to meet in 1829 to settle the land question of the lead region once and for all.

Saying all of that however, I would still agree with you that the map was a effort to encourage settlement in the area. Just the layout of the map with all of its additional text along the boarders make it look like a advertisement.

Your mention of Morgan is interesting. your comment about land speculation could very well be correct. Morgan was a longtime friend and protege of James D. Doty who was also deeply involved in speculating.

Just a side and somewhat irelevant note, you mentioned Byron Kilbourn. Kilbourn was also the father of what is now known as Wisconsin Dells, he had invested in some lands along the Wisconsin River in anticipation of the arrival of the railroad, and though somewhat unscrupulous methods was able to get the railroad to come through his newly founded community, aptly named Kilbourn and later called Wisconsin Dells. His manipulations killed a growing little community called Newport, in Sauk County, which also was pining high hopes on the future route of the railroad. Kilbourns actions made Newport a ghost town in less than two years. Consequently, to this day old Byron Kilbourn is still looked upon by locals as a first class schmuck.

Pete

[Larry Koschkee]

Pete, thanks for the comments.

I acknowledge the fact you stated the U. S. was already well committed to Indian land acquisitions. My saying the map forced the U. S. Government to negotiate land acquisitions was probably not the right choice of words. My intent was to connect the dots between increased activity of settlers and miners, thus the urgent need for the U. S. to obtain ceded lands.

The publication and distribution of the map certainly must have contributed to the pressure on the U. S. Gov't.

BTW - are you familiar with the Lucis Lyon 1829 map that apparently was drawn after the August 1, 1829 Treaty of Prairie du chien and the creation of Iowa County, Michigan Territory?

I believe it was titled - Boundairies of Ceded and Unceded Lands

Larry K.

[Marge Smith]

My understanding is that the Chandler map was really a Lucius Lyon creation. The original Lyon map is in Washington owned by the House or Senate. I tried to get it from the National Archives and was told I would have to apply to the Congressional historian. I did not follow through. Somewhere I saw a reprint of the Lyon map.

The Galena newspaper announced the publication of the Chandler map -- and naturally I can't find the quote.

Richard W. Chandler was a politican. He ran for the Illinois Legislature in 1828. He and his father built what was Chandler's Row on Franklin Street in Galena. These are still standing.

Marge Smith

[Larry Koschkee]

Thanks for the comments Marge.

The dilemma I have before me now is Morgan L. Martin claims he created the map and you suggest Lucius Lyon created it.

I have a photocopy of the 1829 Lucius Lyon map in front of me at this moment and I am changing the title that I stated previously from memory. MAP OF THE BOUNDARY LINE BETWEEN CEDED AND UNCEDED LANDS, 1829, LUCIUS LYON

Lyon's map certainly has some similiarities to the Chandler Map and I value it because it covers the territory from the Mississippi River to Lake Michigan.

Thanks again...

Larry K.

[prophetstownjesse]

If you haven't already, you can purchase copies of all the maps referenced in the Indians of Illinois Country, which includes both the Chandler and Lyons maps.