Published in the same year, Oregon joined the Union as the 33rd State; this map was produced in a time of great transition for the Northwestern area. It would take another four decades for Washington to achieve statehood. Lewis and Clark had concluded their trans-continental trek fifty years prior, and the region was experiencing rapid growth and development. The logging and commercial fishing industries supported by the ports in Seattle and Portland respectively allowed the territory to thrive and established economies that endure today. The territory had been established in 1848, and settlers were building farms and ranches in the plains of the East while enjoying fruits of the sea and forest in the West. The Northwest Territories had throngs of settlers coming from the East as missionaries and miners, while the ports saw immigrants arriving from Asia. The thriving ports had a reputation as rough places with numerous saloons and gambling dens frequented by sailors from around the world. The Fraser Canyon Gold Rush in British Columbia started in 1858, had eager miners traveling north on the Oregon Trail, and merchants throughout the western portion of the territory enjoyed a robust trade in outfitting and provisions. Mining would continue to be a part of the region's economy, and prospecting would cause the most significant population expansion at the close of the century with the Yukon Gold Rush. The unique aesthetic of this representation immediately transports the viewer back in time and links the past and present with its distinct characteristics.
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