Offered in this lot is the First Edition, "The States of the Great West", by Jacob Ferris, 1856, publisher Miller, Orton, and Mulligan, New York and Auburn. "Far West" in the United States in 1856 was generally meant the states just east of the Mississippi River. The only states west of the river were Texas and California, the rest were still territories. It was around this time period that the timber industry was taking a foothold in Michigan that spiraled into a lumbering boom that last for about four decades. This book is a fascinating account of the American West following the surge in migration westward after the California Gold Rush. This book functioned as an emigration guide, giving both physical and historical descriptions of the West. Ferris features Mississippi, the Great Lakes, the French settlements in North America, Pontiac’s War, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Missouri, iron, copper, and silver mines of Michigan, Indian tribes, Santa Fe trade route, Wisconsin, Iowa, Minnesota, Kansas, and Nebraska, with notes on geography, history, emigration, resources, laws, railway lines, and other modes of travel with a table of distances. Map drawn by E.F. Beadle and published by Miller, Orton & Mulligan. This map extends from Ohio to the Rocky Mountains, north of the Ohio River and shows Nebraska Territory (created in 1854), west of Minnesota and north of Kansas. Kansas extends to the Rocky Mountains and includes the regions allocated to the Arapahos & Cheyennes. The Indian Territory is indicated for the Cherokees. Original outline color with red showing railroad detail extending west to Iowa City. This brown coloured cloth bound gold gilt stamped illustrated hardcover is in fair condition for its age, exhibits scuffing, staining, and fading on the cover. Pages exhibit age tanning and foxing. Measures 5.5"W x 7.75"L x 1.25"D, weight 1lb.