Geological map of Indiana. Climatological map of Indiana. This eloquent pairing from 1876 distills the state’s physical foundations and living climate into two complementary plates conceived under the editorial direction of A. T. Andreas and issued by Baskin, Forster & Co. Drawn and printed by Chas. Shober & Co., associated with the Chicago Lithographing Co., the maps fuse scientific rigor with 19th‑century graphic elegance. Their decorative cartouches announce title and imprint, while a saturated palette and crisp linework pull the eye from Indiana’s clearly drawn borders into a densely annotated interior. In the centennial year of the United States, this work answered a rising public appetite for knowledge—what lay beneath the fields and towns, how seasons shaped livelihoods—and offered a state‑sized synthesis that was as practical for enterprise as it was inspirational for civic identity.

On the geological sheet, color‑coded formations and patterned hachures assemble a readable stratigraphic portrait, keyed to a lucid legend. Pennsylvanian coal measures spread across the southwest, foreshadowing the development of mines in counties along the Wabash and lower White River. South‑central belts of Mississippian limestone—stone that would build courthouses and capitals—alternate with sandstones and shales, while karst topography subtly emerges in the sink‑dotted uplands. Toward the north and center, broad sweeps of glacial drift, morainic ridges, and lake‑laid sands trace the last ice’s retreat, with the Kankakee marshlands and the Lake Michigan littoral rendered with particular care. Major rivers—the Wabash, Tippecanoe, and the forks of the White—cut across units like movable rulers, helping relate bedrock to settlement, transport, and resource extraction.

The companion climatological map threads mean annual temperature isolines across the same familiar outline, translating seasonal experience into science. Isotherms arc gently from the cooler northeast toward the progressively milder Ohio River valley, allowing viewers to read, at a glance, why orchards flourish near Evansville while the Fort Wayne and South Bend country runs a degree or two crisper. A faint lake influence softens the northwest, while river corridors—Wabash, White, and Ohio—appear as natural avenues where climate, soils, and commerce conspire. Town names anchor the gradients—Indianapolis, Terre Haute, Muncie, Noblesville—so farmers, shippers, and officials of the day could situate themselves within the state’s thermal logic. As a pre‑industrial baseline, these curves are invaluable to modern climate historians.

Design decisions heighten utility without sacrificing beauty. The geological legend decodes an orchestra of tints and textures into clear epochs and resources; the climatological key clarifies the cadence of isotherms. Engravers at Chas. Shober & Co. balanced delicate hill shading with assertive river scripts, while spot color and hand‑finished accents sharpen boundaries between units and emphasize the sweep of temperature lines. Decorative cartouches, restrained yet confident, frame the scientific content with a civic flourish, and typographic hierarchies steer the eye from state border to county, from county to town. Seen together, the two plates encourage a rare, sideways reading of place: stone and climate in conversation, cause and consequence sharing the same coordinate grid.

A. T. Andreas’s name on the title is more than an imprint; it signals an audacious publishing venture carried forward despite personal financial strain. Working with Baskin, Forster & Co., Andreas orchestrated survey data, county histories, and the newest lithographic methods into a coherent atlas for an ambitious, post‑Civil War Indiana. These maps crystallize that endeavor: the geology anticipating mines and quarries, rail corridors, and building stone economies; the climate advising crops, health, and settlement patterns. Today they reward collectors and scholars alike—genealogists tracing river towns, historians reading the Wabash country’s rise, climatologists mining a nineteenth‑century baseline. Above all, they remind us that understanding a state means holding deep time and daily weather in the same, well‑made frame.

Cities and towns on this map

• Indianapolis
• Fort Wayne
• Evansville
• South Bend
• Carmel
• Fishers
• Muncie
• Terre Haute
• Gary
• Noblesville

Notable Features & Landmarks

• Geological formations are color-coded with distinct patterns.
• Mean annual temperature isolines are represented, indicating climate variations.
• Annotations or labels for major towns and rivers are present across both maps.
• The borders of Indiana are clearly marked.
• A detailed legend explaining color codes and symbols used on the geological map.
• Decorative cartouche elements indicating the title and publishing information.

Historical and design context

• Created and published in 1876.
• Two lithographed representations: one geological and one climatological.
• Mapmaker/editor: A. T. (Alfred Theodore) Andreas; published by Baskin, Forster & Co.
• Engraving and printing by Chas. Shober & Co., associated with Chicago Lithographing Co.
• Atlas binding: half leather with black cloth covers; gold-stamped title “Illustrated Historical Atlas Of The State Of Indiana 1876.”
• Vibrant colors with several features printed in full color and elements hand-colored for detail.
• Focuses exclusively on the state of Indiana.
• Historical significance: a snapshot of Indiana’s geological and climatic understanding in the late 19th century, valuable for historical geography and climate studies.

Looking for a particular place? Review the detailed images to confirm that the town, landmark or feature you have in mind appears on the map. If you are unsure, ask our workshop to check before you order.

Detailed maps are especially rewarding at larger sizes, where names, boundaries and decorative features have more room to be appreciated. Use the close-up preview and size guide to choose the right scale for your wall.

This map looks amazing at sizes all the way up to 50in (125cm). If you are looking for a larger map, please get in touch.

The model in the listing images is holding the 16x20in (40x50cm) version of this map.

Where personalisation is available, you can add a short title or dedication, mark one meaningful place, or request one considered visual detail. See personalised map examples.

Every piece is printed to museum-grade archival standards using fade-resistant pigment inks on acid-free matte paper. Choose an unframed map print, framed map or canvas using the finish options above. Framed maps use crystal-clear optical acrylic and arrive ready to hang.

With its rich detail and strong sense of place, this map makes a considered gift for a new home, anniversary, retirement or anyone with a personal connection to the area shown. Still deciding? Explore our collection of rare old and vintage maps to discover another place, period or style.

This map is also available as a float framed canvas, sometimes known as a shadow gap framed canvas or canvas floater. The map is printed on artist's cotton canvas and then stretched over a handmade box frame. We then "float" the canvas inside a wooden frame, which is available in a range of colours (black, dark brown, oak, antique gold and white). This is a wonderful way to present a map without glazing in front. See some examples of float framed canvas maps and explore the differences between my different finishes.

For something truly unique, this map is also available in "Unique 3D", our trademarked process that dramatically transforms the map so that it has a wonderful sense of depth. We combine the original map with detailed topography and elevation data, so that mountains and the terrain really "pop". For more info and examples of 3D maps, check my Unique 3D page.