Colton's Traveler and Tourist's Route Book through the United States and the Canadas: Containing the Routes and Distances on the Great Lines of Travel, by Railroads, Stage-Roads, Canals, Lakes, and Rivers. Published in New York by J.H. Colton & Co., 1856. Includes colored map. Joseph Hutchins Colton (1800-1893) founded the mapmaking company known as "J.H. Colton and Company", known internationally and highly regarded for the quality of their maps, which were printed using engraved steel plates and often hand-colored, recognizable for their decorative borders. This volume is the 1856 printing of the guidebook for what was then "the West", today what we would consider the middle of the country - Ohio, Michigan, Indiana, Illinois, Missouri, Iowa, Wisconsin, and the "territories" of Minnesota, Nebraska, and Kansas. Bound in brown cloth with gilt lettering and lavishly decorated front board with gilt vignettes of a train on a high bridge and a steamship, all surrounded by an elaborate ruled border intertwined with vine. Rear board blind stamped with the same decorations and lettering. Spine is blank. Pagination: [ii] blank, [1-2] title and copyright page, [3]-4 the "Publisher's Advertisement" (in reality an introduction to the book), 5-100, 1-36 publisher's ads, [2] blank, hand-colored folding map attached to rear paste down. A lovely copy in near fine condition. 4 x 6 inches.Date: Country (if not USA): State: City: Provenance: