1860 Alberta Map

General map of the routes in British North America explored by the expedition under Captain Palliser during the years 1857, 1858, 1859, 1860 - compiled from the observations and reports of Captain Palliser and his officers, including the maps constructed by Dr. Hector, and other authentic documents

This map is packed with interesting details about the areas.

North of 54 Map Viewer - Zoom in for full details.

Map Description

This historical map is a comprehensive, large-scale scientific chart detailing the vast geographic routes explored across British North America (modern-day Western Canada) by the Palliser Expedition between 1857 and 1860. The map illustrates topographically complex terrain, tracking crucial river systems, mountain passes, and vegetation zones. It served as a definitive geographical assessment of the Canadian West, mapping out regions from Lake Superior all the way to the Pacific coast to determine the land's suitability for agricultural settlement and future transcontinental transit.

Interesting Alberta Facts (1860)

  • The "Palliser's Triangle" Verdict: In 1860, Captain John Palliser officially wrapped up his multi-year expedition. He famously reported to the British government that a massive, arid region of southern Alberta and Saskatchewan—now known as Palliser's Triangle—was a desert-like extension of the Great American Desert and entirely unfit for sustainable agriculture. Decades later, modern ranching and irrigation proved him wrong!
  • The Fur Trade Peak at Fort Edmonton: Long before it became the provincial capital, Alberta in 1860 was heavily dominated by the fur trade. Fort Edmonton operated as the crucial district headquarters for the Hudson's Bay Company, serving as a bustling economic hub where Indigenous traders and European frontiersmen exchanged beaver pelts and buffalo robes for manufactured goods.
  • A Wilderness Without Borders: In 1860, the province of "Alberta" did not yet exist. The entire region was a massive, unorganized territory known as Rupert's Land and the North-Western Territory, governed strictly under a commercial charter by the Hudson's Bay Company rather than a civil government.

Description and Facts by Gemini - AI can make mistakes.

Source:
Hector, J., & Palliser, J. (1974). General map of the routes in British North America explored by the expedition under Captain Palliser during the years 1857, 1858, 1859, 1860 [Map]. Champlain Society. https://archive.org/details/WCW_M000238 (Original work published 1865)